Long Way From Home
by The Mosh Pit
Summary: Teldryn Sero is hired in Solstheim by a strange woman, claiming to be searching for the source of attempts against her life. What follows is a journey through horror, beauty, pain and revelation as his patron slowly gives up her secrets, and Teldryn finds himself entwined with an ancient, tormented Dragonborn, balancing on the precipice of moral desolation and wickedness. Smutty.
1. Chapters 1 & 2: Beginnings

"The Retching Netch."

The bulky looking guard folded his arms as best he could, considering his heavy bonemold armour. Although his face wasn't visible through his oddly shaped helmet, I could feel his suspicious stare slowly scanning my clothing and luggage; it seemed to pause on the sheathed sword resting on my hip. "It's the only place you'll be able to stay around here, outlander." His tone was anything but welcoming.

"Thankyou," I mumbled, keeping my head down and furtively slinking past him toward the door of the cornerclub. His glare followed me all the way to the wooden doors.

I don't know why I had kept my head lowered; despite the fact that my face was completely obscured by a black hood and mask, I did not care if I was drawing undue attention right now. I was exhausted, wracked with pain; My skin burned, and yet I was shivering uncontrollably. My only desire was to rest, alone, in a quiet room and obtain an alcoholic drink.  
My limbs ached and groaned; the early stages of rockjoint were beginning to take hold, and I walked languidly, dragging my feet while being acutely aware of the rattling breaths I was drawing each time I inhaled. The numerous bruises and minor lacerations which covered my body stung and grated against the lining of my armour, exacerbated by the salty sweat clinging to my unwashed skin. As comfortable as this Nightingale armour was, there was no covering that could soothe the pain of my wounds at this moment.  
I paused before pushing open the doors of the Retching Netch, catching my breath; my left hand instinctively went to nurse the pain in my ribs, the right one searching for the comfort of Dawnbreaker by my side before quickly squeezing my satchel to confirm that I did indeed still have the potions with me that I was relying upon to improve my miserable lot: A cure for disease, and a health potion. I momentarily marvelled at my stupidity for not having consumed them earlier as I pushed open the doors, the stark white of my fingers glaringly contrasting with everything else in my field of vision.

My ears were flooded with the gentle and pleasant noise of soft instrumental music as I walked inside; the heat of the place unpleasantly soaked into me as my eyes adjusted to the dim, orange light of a nearby fireplace. The air smelled of cooking and bore a faint odour of alcohol. Ambient chatter from numerous Dunmer patrons was a welcome sound; if they were busy talking among themselves, they were too busy to pay much attention to my sickly gait, blood-stained armour, and foreign-ness.  
I quickly looked around me to try to discern where I needed to go to procure a room and drink as quickly as possible. Many dunmer in the place had their mouths and noses covered with cloth masks, a necessity, I assumed, given their home city was a vast blanket of ash, and that the very air they breathed was thick with airborne particles. Their red eyes seemed to glow in the light of the fireplace as they nursed mugs of drink, masks still on. Sometimes they would pull the mask down with two fingers, drink, and then carefully replace it before returning to their conversations. These glimpses of their elven, tired looking faces mas momentarily interesting to me. Wrinkles, grey skin, only occasional smiles; Hardened. Dark Elves.

I thought I could see a bar down a wide flight of stairs that began not far from the door I had entered, and led to a second, lower level where other dunmer were drinking more vigorously, and the conversation was a little louder. I shouldered my satchel and slowly walked down the stairs, eyes focused on the bar and a wooden chair positioned in front of it. A barman with an elven ponytail positioned high on his head, and a slightly squinted pair of blood-red eyes was leaning on the bartop, speaking to a slightly drunken dunmer about something I didn't care about. I headed straight for him, albeit slowly.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed a strange figure sitting in a chair by a small wooden table, shadowed by a pillar. His arms were folded, and his bizarre chitin helmet, which matched his armour, had two round and reflective eyepieces which caught some light as his head turned to watch me pass. He looked to me in his armour like an insect or some sort of crustacean.  
I ignored him and sat heavily down on the bar stool, immediately dropping my bag next to me with a thud and slumping, elbows on the bar. Although my face was obscured, I raised it toward the barman, getting his attention.  
He stopped his conversation with the drunken man and turned his head toward me. I saw a brief furrow in his brow as his eyes quickly looked me up and down, taking my measure. His gaze rested on my exposed fingers, which I promptly curled up and put into the crooks of my elbows, shivering. My jaw clenched as a strong ache rippled through my body. A wide and very fake smile split the barman's face and he brightly looked at me in what he assumed was where my eyes were. "welcome to the Retching Netch corner club, Milady! Home to the finest sujamma to ever grace your lips." He began wiping the bar top with a cloth as he spoke. Can I interest you, stranger?"  
"Yes," I croaked, my own voice sounding weird and pathetic to me before I tried to clear my throat as quietly as I could, loudly growling into the palm of my hand before speaking again. "But first I want to rent a room." I bent sideways at the waist and reached into my satchel, fumbling blindly for my coin purse before finding it and grasping a large handful of septims.  
I ungracefully put it on the bar in front of me, not knowing how much was there, but knowing it would be enough to secure my stay in a place of this calibre. I slumped on the bar again and coughed.  
The man looked at the coin and raised his already high elven eyebrows. "Certainly. For how long, sera?"  
"Just tonight for now."  
He nodded slightly and smiled, scooping the coin from the bar top and putting it away somewhere under the bar and out of sight. "Your room is just down there," he pointed down a short hallway. "On the left." I nodded weakly.  
"Now," he said, Proudly presenting an earthenware jar and confidently placing it on the bar in front of me, "Let this soothe those aching bones and troubled soul." He grinned widely. "Finest in all Morrowind."  
I grasped the neck of the jar and unstopped the cork. My hand trembled as I raised it up and pulled down the mask from my face, just to expose my mouth. I turned my face from him to obscure his view, as I let the drink wash over my cracked lips and gingerly began to gulp down the room temperature liquid. It was sweet, and strong. Very strong.  
The barman continued absently wiping the bar as he continued to talk, despite the fact that I was clearly not invested in the conversation. "I've been working on that recipe for years. I'd say I've got it just about perfect, don't you think?'  
I didn't answer. He may have been well intentioned, but his conversation was only an irritation to me.  
"So, what brings you to Solstheim?" he asked.  
"Business," I said flatly. A silence passed between us. I could feel the crustacean man in the corner watching us. I focused on mustering my strength to walk myself to my room.  
"Ah. I don't hear that one too often. Not much going on around here in terms of business lately.' His voice lost a little enthusiasm.  
I stood up and reached down for my bag, and grabbed the bottle of sujamma by its neck. I raised it slightly to him.  
"I'll take some for the room." Dawnbreaker, my favoured sword, bumped against the chair in its scabbard, loosening it a little so that a bright glow could be seen beneath the black cape that was attached to my armour. I didn't care.  
"Right away." He stopped wiping and reached under the bar to grab two more jugs. "My name is Geldis Sadri, Sera. If you need anything else, you can find me right here." He put the jugs on the bar. "Is there anything else?'  
I was tired; sick. I wavered on my feet. Some of it was the illness, some of it was the heat; some of it was the sujamma. I paused for a moment and thought.  
"Hired help," I blurted out as I stood there, aching and swaying slightly. Geldis squinted at me slightly. "What kind, milady?"  
"Don't call me that." I was not trying to be rude, but I had no energy for enduring such a stupid term of address. "A hired sword. Mercenary."  
Geldis frowned slightly at my curt manner, then returned to his usual polite smile. "I can certainly point you in the right direction," he said cheerfully.  
'Good,' I said, cutting him off and turning to walk toward my room. I saw him shut his open mouth as he decided to stop talking. "I'll discuss the details with you tomorrow. In... In the morning." A rush of ache, hunger and mild nausea swept through me as I gave him a dismissive wave and began slowly walking toward my room, dragging my feet. I brushed past the armoured crab man as I did so, and he turned his head to watch me pass. He remained silent as I staggered by.

I stumbled trough the door to the modest room and clumsily shut the door behind me, tossing the bag onto the rickety wooden bed as I did so. I at least had the presence of mind to carefully set down the sujamma before immediately collapsing onto the floor, tugging at my hood and mask to remove it.  
I felt the air touch my skin as soon as the hood came off, and it was too hot. Long black hair messily cascaded down my back, shoulders and the front of my face, sticking to my sore, chapped lips and to the film of sweat and filth which covered every inch of me. I tried to spit it out as I gritted my teeth again, breathing heavily and just sitting there on the floor, simply wallowing in this god-awful sensation of overwhelming heat and pain. Oh, woe is me.  
Time to take my medicine.  
I crawled across the floor to the bed and climbed up on it, grabbing the bag and feverishly rummaging through it for the potions I needed. One by one, I uncorked them and poured them down my neck with an enthusiasm that was incompatible with my current state of lethargy. One, two, three, four concoctions; and then the large red bottle that I needed most.  
I gasped with relief and sluggishly wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, quietly panting. A healing spell was needed. I quickly stripped off the rest of my armour and sat on the edge of the hard bed in my small undergarments.

Slowly, I felt the subtle, blissful rush of blood through my chest that heralded the healing of my body; I closed my eyes and sighed as it rippled through me, and I held my hands out still over my thighs, my palms slowly beginning to glow goldenly with the benevolent magic I knew so well. An artificial sense of harmony and peace temporarily flooded my senses as I felt my lacerations meld closed and my bruises subside from their swelling; The angry blue and purple lumps on my back, shoulders and legs melted away, leaving only the stark, smooth whiteness of my now healed flesh. The bliss slowly faded away and I collapsed backwards onto the bed, whole and satisfied. It was then that I noticed that there was a roaring fireplace in my room.  
Atmospheric for others maybe, but for a poorly acclimatised snow elf, it was subtle torture.  
I growled to myself and grabbed the sujamma. May as well bathe then; no sleep for me tonight.

CHAPTER 2

I sat in my chair with my arms folded as I chatted idly with Geldis. It was always quiet at the retching netch at this time in the morning; everybody was either sleeping off hangovers or had already set about their daily business elsewhere. The smell of smoke from the waning fire nearby filled the large room; the sounds of footsteps and sweeping echoed quietly throughout the place as the staff went about their tidying duties.  
"Quite unusual," said Geldis, raising one eyebrow as he spoke. "In that state and wearing armour like that. And not dunmer, I'd bet. My guess is a fugitive."  
"Possibly." I paused for a moment. "Although it's entirely normal for people to keep their faces covered around here." I smiled at him beneath my chitin helmet.  
"True," he chirped, giving a slight nod. "Certainly preferable to ash lung." His smile broadened as he looked at me. "Or notoriety." I scoffed, arms still folded across my chest.  
I had seen the woman in question stagger into the corner club late last night. Although she was entirely covered from head to toe in a form-fitting and admittedly impressive light armour set, it was clear from her shape that she was female; of average height and quite thin. her only exposure was her fingers, which were long, thin and stained with blood and dirt. Despite this I noticed that they were unusually pale; Although I had tried to determine her race based on their colour, I couldn't be certain.  
I had watched her sit heavily down on the stool at the bar, cough, and produce a fair amount of coin for Geldis, croaking that she wanted a room. It was clear that she was in exceedingly poor physical condition. She was barely able to maintain her posture as she slumped on the bar, resting on her forearms. Her voice was quiet and smooth, although wracked with congestion.  
Within a short time, she had picked up her baggage and shuffled off to her room, shivering and carrying a bottle of sujamma with her. She had briefly paused to turn and ask Geldis about procuring a hired sword, in a somewhat impolite manner. Before Geldis could introduce her to me, she had dismissed him with a languid wave of her hand and gone to her rented room, saying that she would speak with him about the details in the morning. Geldis had dutifully approached me shortly afterward to inform me of the potential patronage, although I was already aware. He was useful like that. He'd get his commission soon enough if things worked out.  
"Anything for your appetite before I get busy?"  
"Not right now." I'd eaten before I'd emerged from my room down the hall. Bites of bread and swigs of ale in between cleaning and polishing swords and armour was enough for me. I'd never become accustomed to sitting down and eating properly. Mercenary work rarely made allowances for such niceties, and the need for constant vigilance made it a nuisance.  
Geldis nodded and stood up to return to the bar. He quickly turned his head as he heard a door open. He beamed an artificial smile.  
"Good morning, sera! I trust you slept well?"  
The bedraggled woman we had seen last night was striding silently toward the bar, still completely swathed in the intricate black armour. "Well enough, Geldis." I could hear a polite smile in her voice as it chimed through the air. She slid into the chair opposite my own across the small wooden table. A vague scent of fragranced oil and stale blood washed past me in her wake. She folded her white hands neatly on top of one another in her lap and pointed her obscured face in the direction of Geldis. I noticed a thin strip of dried blood underneath her otherwise clean nails; Her armour was still slightly stained with gore. Interesting.  
The difference between this person and the one I had seen limping through the Retching Netch last night was vast. Whatever she had done to herself last night in her room had washed away any sign of illness or infirmity and apparently entirely restored her to a state of steadiness and health; quite curious. Possibly a magic user?  
"Very good." More smiling from Geldis. I briefly wondered if his face ever ached from it all. "Can I get you anything for your hunger?'  
"No, Thankyou," she said, face still pointed toward him. She had yet to acknowledge my presence in any way.  
"I wanted to follow on from our brief discussion last night."  
"Ah, yes. If you could call it that," Geldis said with a smirk. The woman remained silent. Geldis cleared his throat. "You were looking to hire a blade, sera?'  
She rested a hand on the table next to me, relaxing a little. "Yes," she said smoothly. "For a possibly extended time period." Her fingers gently rapped on the wooden surface.  
"Well," Geldis began, "there's someone here who can answer any questions you have." He nodded toward me.  
The woman turned her head and stared directly at me, remaining silent. I smiled beneath my helmet and leaned back in my chair.  
"Teldryn Sero, blade for hire." She cocked her head slightly as she observed me. "The best swordsman in all Morrowind is at your service... for the right price."  
"That's quite a claim," she said, her voice lilting gently. Her fingers became still and rested on the table. "How familiar are you with..." she paused for a moment, as if she had forgotten where she was. "...Solstheim? The geography and settlements."  
"Oh, very," I said nonchalantly. "I've called Solstheim my home for a number of years. I've been from one end to the other many times in various capacities." I Smiled, and I'm sure she could hear it in my voice. Guarded tours were easy money. She nodded very slightly.  
"I'm looking to retain your kind of services for some time until my business is finished here," she explained. "It will not be easy work." I felt her stare penetrate me intently as she tried to gauge my response.  
I Lifted my head and stared right back at her. "Mercenaries never undertake easy work," I stated flatly. "But I think you'll find that my experience in my field will certainly make your... business somewhat less difficult."  
She leaned backward. "What is your price?," she asked quietly.  
"Five hundred septims as an initial retainer." I paused. "Further payment can be discussed later as is necessary."  
She nodded. "Consider yourself hired." She stood up and looked at me.  
I slowly rose from my chair and straightened myself up. I was easily a good head and shoulders taller than her, and I looked down at her upturned mask as I spoke, towering over her. I extended my armoured hand slowly forward. "Very good,sera. I await your instruction. And my payment."  
She stared at the hand, then back at my helmet. Her arms stayed at her sides.  
'I'll meet you in my room in two hours. Make sure you've packed everything you need for a long trip." She bent to pick up the bag she had brought with her and walked over to the bar.  
"Geldis, I'll need a couple more nights. I might not use them in the next few days," she said nonchalantly, "but I'll want that room when I return." She put a bag of coin onto the bar with a pleasant chink. "And I am expecting a courier to arrive here to deliver some things of mine within the next couple of hours; please put them in my room."


	2. Chapter 3: The Deal

CHAPTER 3

The room was still far too hot. It was causing me to become irritable as well as anxious.

I paced the floor of the rented room restlessly, my mind racing from one concern to the next, as I tried to think of explanations for the delay of my delivery. It was supposed to have been here an hour ago. Where was he?

As my mind began to drift into the realm of unreasonable conclusions, I heard a rapid knocking on the wooden door. I felt a sudden rush of excitement flourish in my chest as I rushed to answer it, roughly kicking a rickety wooden chair out of my way while leaping for the handle and yanking it open.

'Marcurio!'

I felt a wave of relief and smiled beneath my hood as I saw his familiar form standing in the doorway. My eyes desperately searched his hands as he stood there, arms folded and eyebrow raised, staring at me with an unimpressed expression plastered onto his face. 'Did you bring everything?'  
He snorted. 'Oh, hello, Nysteris! Why, yes, I did have a safe journey. To Morrowind.' He emphasised the last word, his voice dripping with sarcasm. 'All the way from Falkreath.' He paused for dramatic effect. 'In Skyrim.'

'Of course you did,' I blurted urgently, still looking for his luggage as I grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him inside. 'You're an apprentice wizard.' I firmly took him by the shoulders and turned him around, pulling down the heavy straps of his pack from his shoulders and easing it onto the ground.  
'Yes,' he said, a droll tone in his voice as he stood still, facing the wall. 'Not a pack mule.' He turned around to look at me as I crouched on the ground in front of him, rummaging through the heavy bag. I audibly sighed with relief as I wrapped my fingers around the red bottle inside.  
'Thank you,' I murmured, pulling the cork from the bottle and ungracefully yanking the hood and mask from my head. He sat down in the unstable chair and leaned back into it, eyeing me suspiciously and frowning as he watched me noisily swallow the contents of the container. I gasped as I removed my lips from it, and slobbishly wiped my mouth on my sleeve.  
A silence passed between us; I looked up at him from my position on the floor next to the bag. His hazel eyes stared directly into mine and he exhaled loudly, softly shaking his head. His lips pursed slightly, making his goatee look shorter for a moment.

'What are you doing out here, Nysteris?'

His tone was quiet; imploring.

I broke eye contact and stood up from the floor, carefully putting the empty glass bottle on the dresser next to me. His gentle tone caused a flush of what almost felt like shame to blossom in my chest; I turned away from him as I spoke.  
'Business.' My voice was firmer than I had intended it to be.  
Marcurio sighed loudly. 'Should I even ask?' His voice became a little firmer. "I haven't seen you in months. No word, not even a letter. Not until I recieved a scrap of paper from a tired courier, telling me to bring... all of this,' I heard his robes rustle as he gestured to the bag, 'To Solstheim docks, of all places. I had to ask the guards to find where you were staying.'  
I spun around and stared at him. 'The guards knew me?'  
'No,' he said, 'They didn't know who you were. Relax. They just pointed me in the direction of the only hired accommodation in this ash-covered pit.'  
More silence passed as I sat down on the bed, my elbows resting on my knees.  
'You're still using these, I see,' he said flatly, waving a hand at the empty bottle sitting on the dresser. 'I thought you'd have taken care of that by now.'  
I suppressed a momentary flare of annoyance as I calmly answered him. 'Now isn't the time.' I motioned to the bag. 'How many more in there?'  
'Eight more.' I nodded. I allowed my hair to fall forward and shield my face from his gaze.  
'Why didn't you bring me with you?'  
The question caught me completely off guard. I flushed a little and looked down. I hated these needy moments from him; So far from the confident and cocky mage I had hired in Riften to watch my back.  
I briefly considered telling him that; That the reason for my departure from his company while I was on the road was because of interludes like this one. Instead, I quietly took a deep breath and spoke to him in a formal tone.  
'Lakeview Manor needs to be taken care of. That is your role as my steward.'  
'Hmph.' His feet shuffled under his seat. 'Not as exciting as what I used to do.' I heard a smile in his tone; He was trying to lighten the mood.

Relieved, I turned my head toward him and smiled. 'You never liked the travelling or caves.'

'It rubs off on you after a while. And we both know that you would have been lost without me.'

I nodded, my grin widening. 'Possibly.'

Another knock came from the wooden door; louder and slower.

I gasped and dived for my hood, clumsily yanking it over my head as I stood up and went to answer. Marcurio's smile dropped as I opened the door, Revealing Teldryn Sero, the mercenary I had hired this morning.

Although he was covered in chitin armour from the tips of his toes to the top of his head, I could feel him slowly surveying the room with his eyes. His face pointed toward Marcurio.

'Shall I return later?' His deep, relaxed voice rasped slightly as he spoke. Marcurio stood up from his chair.

'No. This way.' I extended an arm toward the bed, where the heavy bag of items was. Teldryn sauntered by Marcurio's confused and wary gaze.  
'Marcurio, this is Teldryn. The mercenary.'  
Marcurio's mouth opened in indignation and his brow furrowed angrily, but no words came from him; He promptly closed it again and straightened himself up.  
Before he could speak, I grabbed a full quiver of arrows and thrust them toward him. 'Is this all you could get?'  
'Yes.' His tone had become firmer and more relaxed. He seemed to be trying to ignore Teldryn's presence. 'Serana seemed to be annoyed with me by the time she'd finished making that many.'

I admired them quietly. 'And the sun hallowed?'

'Only what you see there,' He said bluntly. 'I'm not going to go all the way to find Gelebor to get more.' He folded his arms across his chest.

'Understandable,' I conceded. It was more than I'd expected. I laid them down on the bed and looked at Marcurio.  
'Thankyou,' I said smoothly. His eyes were searching my mask for some kind of indication that I was truly grateful. 'Do you have enough coin at the manor?'  
'Plenty. I don't need anything.'  
I nodded. 'Then farewell.'

I slowly and deliberately turned my back on him and busied myself with removing the weapons, armour and potions from the bag. Teldryn leaned with his back against the wall, arms crossed and staring at Marcurio; It was not long before I heard the door shut quietly behind me as Marcurio made his exit.  
'I don't think he was expecting me.' Teldryn's voice bore a slight hint of sarcasm and dry humour.  
I remained silent; unsure of how to respond.

I dug through my bag and produced a large sack of septims, extending it toward Teldryn. I nodded at him to take it, and he politely accepted, cupping it from below and then turning to put it into a pouch on his side.

I watched him warily; It wasn't until now that I realised that he intimidated me a little. Perhaps it was the strange armour. Maybe it was the lack of familiarity. Either way, I tried to push it to the back of my mind.

'There's quite a bit more than five hundred septims there,' he said, leaning forward from the wall and standing in front of me. He waited for my response.

'Yes,' I said. I tried to hide my nervousness behind a cool facade. 'I prefer to pay in advance.'

"You'll get no complaints from me,' He said brightly, a smirk in his tone. "You needn't worry. I'm worth every coin.'  
An arrogant smartass. I found myself surprisingly satisfied with that somehow. I scoffed.  
'Come here,' I ordered. 'I need to take your inventory. Some of this gear might be better than what you're using now.'  
'Then I'm happy to carry it with us,' he said quickly and firmly. 'I perform best with the weapons I'm most familiar with.' I got the message. He wanted to keep his armour and weapons to use. Not mine. I was a little lost for words and stared at him awkwardly, suddenly grateful for the presence of my hood.

'Now,' he said in a friendly tone, 'Why don't we discuss our plan?' 


	3. Chapter 4: First Sight

CHAPTER 4

'May I?' I gestured toward the wooden chair next to my leg.

My patron stood there and watched me in silence, her body slightly tensed. While she did not seem to be afraid, she certainly seemed wary; although her unusual sword was on her hip, her hand did not hover over it.  
I slowly and deliberately sat down and reached into my satchel for a bottle of sujamma, placing it upon the table in clear view. This was the part of the job where I got measure of my employer. It would be easier for everyone if a bit of informality and relaxation was able to be achieved early on. I reached up to my helmet, working the catches with my fingers to remove it.

The woman slowly walked toward the table and slowly slid into the chair opposite me. She reached up to the shelf next to her from her sitting position and took two mugs, setting them on the table next to the bottle I'd put there. A good start, I supposed; but her silence was still a little uncomfortable.  
I took the sujamma and poured it slowly into the mugs on the table. 'So,' I said casually, 'first things first. How should I address you, Sera?'  
I removed my helmet and put it on the ground next to my bag.  
I smiled at her in the most non-threatening way I could manage and raked my fingers quickly through my black mohawk. Nobody likes helmet hair.  
She remained motionless for a few moments; I could feel her eyes sweeping over my newly revealed face. It is possible that I didn't look as she had expected me to; I had been hired by patrons in the past who were even surprised by the fact that I was Dunmer. Almost as if the chitin armour and the fact that I was on Solstheim weren't good enough indicators.  
In any event, her opinion of my appearance was not relevant to what we were here for. I took a long draught of sujamma from the mug and raised my eyebrows at her from over the top of it as I did so, trying to prompt her to answer my question.

Slowly, her left hand raised toward her face, and she began to remove her hood and mask. She mumbled something through a mouthful of cloth as the mask was halfway off.

'Forgive me,' I said in a low tone, 'I'm afraid I didn't catch that.'  
'Nysteris.' Her voice chimed clearly as she spoke.  
I looked at her face, and I think that I was the one who was more surprised.

Her skin was white. Not pale like a Nord woman, but a pure, uniform, unnatural white. In spite of the fact that dirt was smudged upon it in numerous places, it almost had a translucent and reflective quality.  
Her eyes were startling, and equally strange; They were huge and slanted upward, the very pale blue-green irises taking up almost all of the visible area of them, with only a tiny triangle of sclera showing at each side. The black pupils were small and seemed to almost blend in with the iris; Her eyes were rimmed with what appeared to be a dark blue paint of some sort, which had smudged under them.

Her eyebrows and hair were as black as the rest of her was white; The tangled mess framed her face in a way that made her seem almost derelict. Her nose was curved and pointed and her lips and mouth quite small, posed in a serious neutral frown, and smudged with the same dark blue paint that was under her eyes.

But the thing that drew my attention more than her slightly strange face was the pair of long, pointed, white ears poking out from beneath the mane of almost waist length black hair. They curved upward in a way that I had not seen before.

Although she was obviously Mer, I could not for the life of me begin to guess at which race she was. The closest I managed to conclude was an Altmer with some kind of unusual difference; although she did not seem tall enough.

Her eyes pierced me as she watched for my reaction. It was obviously something she had become accustomed to dealing with; I tried not to be obvious about my surprise as she picked up the mug of sujamma and drank from it slowly, not breaking eye contact.

"Nysteris,' I said aloud, quietly hoping that I had heard it right. 'Is that an... Altmer name?'  
I was shamelessly fishing for a clue now, and I am certain that she knew it. Curiosity often got the better of me in life, and right now was no exception.  
She cast her eyes down to her fingers, pinching them together and absently picking the dried blood out from underneath her nails. 'No,' she said quietly. She was clearly not interested in pursuing the line of conversation any further.  
I stretched my legs out, resting my foot on my knee and lifting the mug of drink toward me. 'Ah. I've never been very familiar with Altmer names. Quite a mouthful.'

I paused and observed her from my chair as she downed the rest of her drink. A very strange appearance all together, but not entirely unattractive.  
'So where should we start?' I said in a low, long tone.

She leaned forward onto her elbows and stared me in the eye. I stared right back at her; surprisingly, she broke away.

"There have been numerous attempts on my life,' she expained calmly. I nodded. I'd certainly heard this story from previous patrons.  
'The written orders I found on one of the bodies led me to believe that the source is here in Solstheim.'

'Bodies?' I raised my eyebrows. 'You've taken care of some of this on your own then.'  
'Out of necessity, yes,' she said curtly. 'I have many things to do in many places; I came here when the attempts became too frequent to ignore any longer.'

I admit that I was a little surprised; Although Nysteris was clearly a focused and apparently capable woman, she looked fragile to me. She was lightly built, which is normal for a Mer, and was not especially tall. More curiosities to ponder.

"You wouldn't be lucky enough to have a name for your contractor, would you?' My tone was dry. Nobody ever knew the name of their would-be killers; the wild goose chase of trying to locate the source of the attempts inevitably ended up taking a long time.

'Miraak.' She looked at me with a slight questioning, trying to feel whether I recognised the name.

'Miraak,' I repeated as I slowly drawled out the word. 'Doesn't sound familiar to me. I could certainly help you look for leads.'

'Good,' she said, standing up and pulling her hood back on. 'Then let's go.' 


	4. Chapter 5: Confrontation

CHAPTER 5 'Miraak. Miiiiraaaak,' Teldryn murmured slowly as he walked alongside me, deep in thought, the lenses of his helmet catching a glint of late afternoon sun. 'What a curious man he must be. It seems as if nearly everybody... almost knows him.'

I remained quiet and stared ahead, squinting through my hood at the vast expanse of fallen ash and charred trees that stretched out into the horizon of Solstheim before us.  
The sun was beginning to sink in the sky; A cold breeze was beginning to bolden as it washed over me and brought with it the faint smell of sulfur. My cape billowed slightly as I trudged through the thick blanket of ash, my boots sinking a little deeper into it with every few dozen steps.  
Everything in my field of vision was a shade of brown, grey or rust. The orange sunset was deepening in colour; a blurred orb disappearing behind the ash-covered hills, obscured by the thick and hazy atmosphere. I gazed into it, the monotony of our trek lulling me into a state of mild entrancement.  
'And he has a temple, apparently.' Teldryn's intermittent but constant commentary was a pleasant sound, despite its subject matter. He wasn't saying anything much that required me to respond, and so I was content to listen.  
'You must have done something impressive to have captured his attention.'  
'I wish I knew what it was,' I said dryly. 'None of this is making sense yet.'

I thought again of the numerous dunmer we had seen today who had been gathered around the monument that Teldryn had called the Earth Stone. The expression in their eyes was vacant, and tortured; as they swung their tools they had uttered the most ominous words:

"Here in his shrine, that they have forgotten... Here do we toil, that we might remember."

Teldryn's voice roused me from my far away thoughts.  
'I doubt if we'll make it to the temple any time soon.' He stopped walking and looked up at the sky. 'We haven't much light left in any case. Here is as good a place as any to rest for the night.'  
'Alright,' I said quietly.  
Something had caught my attention; For a moment I thought I had glimpsed the briefest of shadows quickly scoot from the corner of my field of vision, disappearing behind the trunk of a charred tree. I abruptly stopped walking and quickly dropped into a slightly crouched stance, my left hand immediately flying to grasp the hilt of Dawnbreaker. My eyes darted quickly around me, scanning left and right, and then focusing on the burnt tree trunk where the flicker of movement had been.  
I heard the singing of metal against metal as Teldryn immediately drew his sword with his right hand, his left instantly rising up and beginning to glow dimly with a magical light. He must have seen it too; his reaction had been as instantaneous as my own.  
He shot me a rapid glance through his mask before advancing forward, quickly placing one foot in front of the other with surprising agility and grace as he approached the area next to the burned tree.  
I felt a pulse of adrenaline and fear ripple quickly through me as the soft, cold wind caressed my ears, and I strained to listen for any sounds.

It was then that a piercing whistle broke the silence, and a deep thud shook through me as an arrow embedded itself in my upper back.

A cry rang out from my lips, not of pain so much as shock and anger; I fell to my hands and knees, Dawnbreaker hissing as I wrenched it from its scabbard. As I sprung back onto my feet, I saw Teldryn racing toward me, his left hand thrust forward as the glow from it intensified and a dark blue tear in the air itself materialised before him. Moments later, a flame atronach rapidly emerged from the swirling light and immediately raced after Teldryn, its arm raised high above its flaming horns, leaving a thin trail of fire in its wake.  
'Get down!' he snapped.  
Another arrow hissed through the air and embedded itself into the ash next to my feet as I quickly jumped aside and glared angrily at the crest of the nearest hill, feeling the coldness and pressure build up in my right hand from the spell I was summoning.  
There it was; a figure crouching behind a burnt stump, bow drawn and pointed directly at my chest. The chitin armour he wore made his silhouette jagged and hard to define for a moment. I drew back my right hand and gritted my teeth, my face bearing a vicious snarl beneath my mask as I surged forward and threw the Icy Spear at the archer with all of my force and anger.  
The figure swiftly hid itself behind the nearest tree as the icy spear hit the ground where he had been and shattered loudly. I put all of my effort into covering the distance between myself and my assailant, striving to reach him before he had the time to nock another arrow.  
I roared angrily and brought my blade down with full force upon the crouching figure as he fumbled for his sidearm; a shower of ash spat up from the ground as he deftly leaped clear of my sword and it buried itself into the ground where he had been a split second before.  
I heard a schick as he drew an elven dagger from his armour and a swoosh as he swung it hard at my neck; A loud clang rang out as I blocked the blow with Dawnbreaker, the attacker grunting from the effort of his swing.  
Before he could recover, I instantly leapt to the side and brought my blade sweeping into his left flank between the plates of his chitin armour. He roared in pain and outrage as I wrenched it free, blood spilling from the gaping wound as I stepped around him and grabbed his head from behind with my right hand, drawing Dawnbreaker back as far as I could with my left.

'No...' He choked, blood gushing onto the ash in rhythmic spurts from the deep cut. His voice was heavy with shock and disbelief; His arms flailed as I pushed down on his helmet and forced him onto his knees. 'I yield...'  
I snarled and felt the potent rush of bloodlust and power course through me as I drove Dawnbreaker straight through his back, its point erupting from his chest, stained dark red with the rich blood from deep within his heart. I exhaled through clenched teeth as his body stiffened, tortured gargles and chokes erupting from deep within his throat.  
I sneered as I put my foot on his back, loving the sound of my blade singing as I brutally pulled it free from his armoured body. It slumped ungracefully onto the ground at my feet.  
'Useless,' I hissed quietly to myself as I stared at the bleeding corpse. I could hear my own blood rushing through my head as my eyes fixed onto the small spurts still pulsing from his side. I slowly inhaled as I felt a powerful need slowly begin to rise from deep within me.

In one smooth movement, I pulled my mask aside and bent down, my mouth latching onto the bleeding wound, my tongue forcing itself inside the cut, stroking the smooth edges and scooping the hot, salty blood from within.  
I swallowed deeply as the pulses became weaker, the blood slowly ceasing to yield to me as I began to come down from my intoxication. Whatever was left of him could be left to the mudcrabs and sandhoppers; He was nothing now.  
I slowly stood up and wiped my mouth, breathing deeply, while staring down at the body before me.

My bloodlust began to subside, and the familiar feeling of shame and revulsion slowly began to replace it, as always.

I reached up and over my shoulder, grippig the arrow that was embedded there and grimacing as I pulled it from my flesh in one quick and rapid movement. After looking at it to ensure that the arrowhead was still attached, I absently cast it aside.

'Nysteris!'

I heard Teldryn's deep bark before I saw him as I turned, watching him run up the ash hill, sword sheathed and a flame atronach floating obediently behind him. His chitin armour was smeared with blood, but he seemed fine; Clearly the blood belonged to someone else. I quickly pulled my mask back up over my wouth as I waited for him to reach me.  
'Turn around,' he demanded, panting slowly, putting his hands on my shoulders and turning them away from him. I felt him run his fingers over the arrow wound; 'You'll be alright.'  
Although the wound from the arrow was painful, I was surprised and embarrassed to find that a hot flush rushed to my cheeks at his physical touch. I stood still, facing away from him, soaking in my awkwardness.  
He slowly walked around to my front, staring down at the body of my attacker as it lay crumpled upon the ash. He crouched on one knee and reached out for something.  
'Here,' He said dryly, 'I think you might have dropped this.' He grabbed Dawnbreaker by the blade with his gloved hand and pointed the hilt toward me. He tutted and shook his head as I grasped it.  
'You should really take better care of a fine sword like that.' His hands travelled up to his helmet to lift it from his head as the flame atronach crumbled ungracefully behind him.  
Upon seeing his face again, my breath caught in my chest for a moment; His black mohawk remained still in the gentle night time breeze, and his blood-red eyes narrowed as he looked down at the dead man, his helmet resting under his arm.  
The dark tattoos displayed upon his face arched gently up and over his high brows and trailed to a blue patch on his lower lip, which I was having difficulty drawing my gaze from; his strong jaw was covered with rugged, short hair. His grey skin contrasted startlingly with the red of his eyes; I felt another blush and a slight nervousness as he turned his face to look at me. 'These are Morag Tong,' He said in a serious tone, His eyes widening as he spoke. He handed me a folded piece of paper. 'I believe that this was meant for you.'  
I gently took it from him and frowned as I unfolded it.

Honourable Writ of Execution: Nysteris (further name unknown)

The aforementioned personage has been marked for execution as a member of an unlawful guild of assassins in accordance with the lawful tradition and practice of the Morag Tong Guild.  
The bearer of this non-disputable document has official sanctioned license to kill the aforementioned personage.

I stared at it for a moment, trying to process the information, when I realised that it had just divulged a substantial amount of information to Teldryn that I had intended to keep to myself.

'I'm not going to ask any questions about that,' said Teldryn politely, leaning to the right as he transferred his weight. He gave a small smile. 'But I would like to have a chat with you over a fire and some drink within the next hour.'

I looked up at his face; he was even more handsome when his armour was covered in blood. I wondered momentarily whether the rush of battle had promoted a temporary rush of excitable hormones as well.

I smiled and relaxed a little. 'I hope you've got sujamma.' 


	5. Chapter 6: Sujamma

CHAPTER 6

'Now Blacklight... That's a proper city.' I smiled as I bit into a green apple and stared into the dancing flames of the campfire that blazed between us.

Nysteris had removed her hood and was sitting across from me on her bed roll with her legs crossed, nursing a bottle of sujamma and watching my face as I spoke. The firelight reflected and danced in her wide eyes and cast a glow on her stark white face.  
She was very still and quiet, as always; although I was pleased to notice that as the time had passed and the alcohol flowed, she was becoming slowly more vocal, curious and interactive. For the first time I was starting to coax her into discussing something other than business, although the many questions about the Morag Tong had taken some time to work through in the beginning as we had set up camp.

'I've never been there,' she confessed, taking another deep draught of drink. 'Is it where you grew up?'  
'Almost. I was from a town not far away.' I looked up at her, uncorking another jar of drink. 'My mother often took me there when she visited the great library, and I inflicted myself upon the unwary populace on a regular basis.' I quickly raised my eyebrows at her and lowered them again as I took a long swig from the bottle.

She looked me in the eye, her long black hair partially obscuring her face, and for the first time since I had met her, I saw a smile spread across her lips. It pleased me more than I thought it would have. She was beginning to relax.  
Although I was trying to gently tease some basic information out of her to help her open up to me more for the sake of an efficient working relationship, an increasing number of things were becoming apparent that had piqued my sense of caution and curiosity.

The weapon she carried at her side was not an ordinary sword; although I had seen many enchanted weapons in my line of work, this one was clearly quite unique and special. The same could be said for the armour she wore. The craftsmanship was unlike anything I had encountered, and I could not place where it may have originated from; though it was possible from the large amount of coin she carried that she had simply purchased the sword and attire from a particularly discerning merchant.  
I had read the writ of execution I'd taken from the body of the Morag Tong assassin earlier. I was aware that Nysteris had been fighting off another agent at the time, and I'd run to find her as soon as I'd finished with my engagement. In many ways it made sense that Nysteris was an assassin; What was more interesting to me was the fact that she had chosen not to disclose that information to me, and that although she was clearly capable of handling herself - moreso than I had initially given her credit for - she had still made the decision to enlist the aid of a mercenary.  
And her appearance...

'I can't imagine you being the terror of your community in your early days,' I said, returning her smile and taking another drink. 'Not especially,' she said as she smiled softly, looking down into the jar in her hands. 'The opportunities for that sort of fun don't present themselves often when you're raised in a chantry.'  
'Chantry?' I asked in an inquiring tone. I was becoming very interested now. Finally we might be getting somewhere. 'Of whom?'  
She paused for a moment, seemingly far away in memories. When she spoke, it was in a soft, absent tone: 'Auriel.'  
My mind raced. Auriel... A chantry. Things were still unclear to me. 'I'm afraid I'm not familiar with him. Or her. Or the chantry. Forgive me.' I smiled again and she looked up, the warm grin still upon her lips. Her cheeks bore the faintest flush of pink from the Sujamma.  
'The guiding paragon of enlightenment and wisdom to the Falmer.'  
My brow furrowed and I stared at her, my confusion evident upon my face as I spoke slowly. 'I wasn't aware that the Falmer paid tribute to any god.'  
'The Falmer...' She paused. 'Snow Elves.' My eyes widened as I looked at her, and suddenly I understood her countenance, what she was saying.  
'You're a Snow Elf?'  
She nodded gently, her smile fading a little. Her huge eyes scanned my face for a reaction, then dropped down to her drink, an almost indiscernible sigh escaping her slightly parted lips.  
I was momentarily lost for words. I knew the simplest parts of the tragic history of the snow elves; of their defeat at the hands of the Nords, of how they were driven underground and forced into slavery by the Dwemer, and of the horrific devolvement of their race. What had caught me off guard more than this knowledge was the fact that I had assumed that the snow elves as they had been before their fall were extinct. Although her race and her typical physical traits could not be more obvious to me now that I had been enlightened, I did not even consider it an option when I had been trying to discern her origin before.  
She somehow seemed more lovely to me now; more fragile in some indiscernible way. I needed to remind myself that I knew that she was at the very least an assassin, and most likely a multitude of other things I had yet to discover.

I must have drifted away into deep thought; when I returned, I looked up to find her big almond eyes fixed upon my face, the light from the fire swirling in them like liquid.  
'You're a long way from home, dear sera.' I smiled at her again, in as casually as I could, as I leaned over and picked up another bottle of alcohol from the satchel next to my feet. I uncorked it and raised it slightly to her as she threw her head back and downed the last of the bottle she had been drinking. 'The less of these things we need to carry around with us from here in, the better.' She paused for a moment, watching me, and then suddenly sprung to her feet, wobbling slightly and grinning as she did so, heading straight for the heavy bag of things her steward had fetched for her before our departure.  
'Here,' she said brightly, dragging it over to me and then plopping herself down right beside me so that our knees were touching. 'I know you don't want to use it, but I really want to show you some of this stuff.'  
I think I made an audible gasp as she came into contact with me; She had caught me off guard. Her entire personality had seemingly changed in an instant, as though she had relieved herself of a burden by revealing a part of her self to me.

Or it was possible that she was just drunk.

Her pale hand rested on my knee as she drew a heavy cuirass from her bag, Black and shiny as obsidian. Ebony, for certain, but with the most incredible detailing, and fine linked mail interwoven into it.  
'Oh, my,' I said in an exaggerated fashion. 'You certainly have my full attention now.' I raised my eyebrow at her flirtatiously and gave her a sly smile, her hand still resting on my knee.

She flashed me a mischievious smirk.

This was going to be an interesting evening. 


	6. Chapter 7: Tired

CHAPTER 7

My head swam pleasantly as I pulled the ebony mail free from the bag and laid it on the ground in front of Teldryn, a supid smile plastered on my face as I gave him a proud glance.  
'Now that is most impressive.' He leaned forward and took a corner of the mail between his thumb and forefinger, rubbing it slowly. 'I suppose I would be out of line if I asked you where you got it.' I saw the smallest frown cross his face as he felt the vibrations of the enchantments that it bore.  
'I relieved it from its previous owner,' I said. 'He didn't need it any more.'  
Teldryn turned his head and scoffed, giving me a sarcastic smile as he did so. 'Then clearly it wasn't enough to protect him from marauding snow elves.'  
'Oh, I had permission; Boethiah wouldn't have allowed me such a thing otherwise. I almost had to take it.'  
At that, he shot me a surprised glance. 'Boethiah?' His red eyes quickly flicked up and down my body. 'Boethiah gave you this?'  
I took another drink as he stared at me in mild surprise. 'I'm assuming you don't have a generous merchant friend back in Skyrim named Boethiah.'  
'It belonged to her champion. He was no longer fulfilling his role to his master's satisfaction, so... I performed her a service.' I grinned roguishly. 'As you can see, it isn't designed for my... anatomy. I've been dying to see it in action again.'  
I fixed my eyes upon him and smiled at his expression as it changed from one of surprise to one of disbelieving sarcasm.  
'Naturally,' he said dryly. 'And that sword of yours? I've been curious about that one.'  
'Meridia.' I wobbled a little as I sat on the ground next to him. 'Meridia gave me that for cleansing the filth from her temple. Dawnbreaker.'  
'Mmmhmm.' He folded his arms. 'And I suppose Molag Bal gave you the armour?'  
'Oh, no,' I said, My eyes widening as I shook my head. 'I hope to never meet Molag Bal...' my voice trailed off as a memory of Serana passed through my mind. 'This was a gift from Nocturnal.'  
'Of course it was.' His low monotone echoed through me, reminding me of his proximity to myself.  
'And what did you get from Sithis?'  
I glanced at him, and then back down to my drink. The moments passed slowly as I registered his reference to the writ of execution he had found on the Morag Tong assassin.  
'I haven't had the pleasure.'  
The silence was awkward; his gaze was penetrating me uncomfortably as he waited for me to elaborate.  
After I declined to do so, he gently pushed the conversation further. 'I suppose he only speaks to the Night Mother.' A brief pause as he observed me. 'She is still under the guardianship of the Dark Brotherhood, no?'  
I drank from the jar slowly, staring into the fire as our knees touched. 'Yes,' I murmured quietly. 'I thought you said that you weren't going to ask any questions about that.'  
He gave a soft smile, his eyes glowing fiercely in the light of the fire. He leaned a little closer to me as he spoke, and my eyes were again drawn to his lips.  
The mournful loneliness I had become so familiar with over the years suddenly began to ache within me as I stared at him; I hadn't felt this yearning since I had first seen Gelebor at the Great Chantry of Auriel all those years ago. Something about his Mer appearance stirred a longing that I had only rarely felt.  
Damn sujamma.  
'Forgive me, sera,' he purred as his eyes slowly settled upon my own lips. 'I don't mean to offend.' He turned and reached behind him for his bottle. 'But if I am to take your word, I have found myself in the employ of a member of a near-extinct race who also happens to be a Dark Brotherhood assassin and a servant of the Daedra.' He raised his eyebrows a little as he looked me in the eye, the tips of his mohawk moving ever so slightly in the night breeze. 'While my regular patrons are not usually as interesting... Or appealing to the eye,' He said smoothly, 'they are also not usually as potentially dangerous.' He raised the bottle to his lips. 'And coupled with the multitude of other surprises which I'm certain are in store for me, It's wise to partake in a little risk assessment.'

I stared into the fire catatonically, my head swimming from the alcohol, the feeling of loneliness and melancholy washing over me. My mind was so far away from me at this moment; all of the things I had seen, all of the things that were expected of me, all of the things I had done. Awful, evil things.

'I have been out here for a long time.'

The words emerged from my lips in a whisper. I felt lost, detached; mortal and fragile. 'You are right to be wary of me.'  
I was feeling the alcohol.  
I turned and looked up at his face. It was emotionless. My last comment had put his guard up; I wanted to bring it back down again.  
'I'm as fallible and fragile as you are. I'm a million things to a million scared, dependent people, but I'm just mortal... I'm a tool, a weapon to be used for a purpose.' He frowned down at me. 'That is what it means to be Dovahkiin.'  
If he recognised the word, he gave no indication of it; He turned his head toward the fire and squinted into it, his voice a smooth, low rumble. 'There is no dishonour in that.' I think he was trying to comfort me.

I rested my head against his shoulder and felt him tense very slightly as his head quickly turned to look down at me; Although his mild surprise was evident, he did not move.

'Pleasing to the eye, eh?' I smirked.

'Don't get too cocky,' he grinned to himself. 'You'll need to pay extra for anything beyond that.'

I smiled gently before inching closer to him, resting more of my weight against his body, my half-lidded eyes gazing into the flames.

'Lie down,' I said quietly. 'I'm tired.'


	7. Chapter 8: The Omen

CHAPTER 8

Dark. Everything around me was blackness.

The faint smell of smoke and sulfur flooded my senses, and I became aware that my face was buried in the coolness of her long black hair; her quiet but laboured breath blew hot against the crook of my neck and her bare white skin glowed in the darkness that surrounded us. A low resonating rumble and hiss echoed in the darkness ahead, and the haunting glow of a blue flame in the distance faded into my vision.  
A faint voice rang out in the distance; its pitch was low and brutal; not a man or mer.  
"Dovahkiin."  
Great shadows moved in the distance. Huge shadows.  
I felt Nysteris' lips on my ear as her small hands ran smoothly down the skin of my back and a gentle, pleading moan escaped from her mouth. I felt her breasts pressed against my chest, and I realised that I was naked; her legs were wrapped gently around my waist and I was on my knees, my arms bracing her to hold her up. Time moved as slowly as sand; I became suddenly aware of her heat and wetness, and I realised that I was inside of her.  
My left right hand moved up underneath her hair to the back of her neck and held it firmly; my left hand slid down to the lowest part of her back and pressed down as I thrust deeply into her and she let out a small cry.  
""Dovahkiin." The unnatural voice became stronger. The blue flame brightened, illuminating the blurred shapes in the distance; long horns and spines, the hiss of beast breath.  
A dragon.  
Nysteris' hips pulled away from me slightly, and I pulled her close to me again, driving myself deep into her core and grazing her neck with my teeth as I exhaled loudly; she cried out and dug her nails into my skin as she arched her back, curving her hips toward me until I was as deep within her as her body would allow.  
I was intoxicated, fervent; I gently laid her down upon the cold stone ground and her huge green eyes stared up at me, burning with lust as she moved her hands up to my shoulders. I was almost delirious as I withdrew from her wetness and then plunged back into her again, her eyes rolling back in her head and pleading moans emanating from her as I worked her body, her release beginning to build, my own endurance rapidly weakening as I grit my teeth and felt her muscles begin to clamp down around my hard member.  
As she began to shout, a deafening roar shattered the echoing silence as the dragon screamed and reared up, spreading its torn wings, blue fire erupting from its mouth as its body began to dissolve into flame. A thundering boom rang out as searing ribbons of light burst free of the dragon's chest, its ribs bare and glowing with fire, the ribbons splitting and reforming, rushing into the body of Nysteris as she lay prone beneath me.  
I looked down in horror as her eyes became hollow holes within her face, blood streaming from them, her mouth wide open as the strips of light stabbed into her body, setting her ablaze with a searing golden light as the incinerated bones of the dragon crumbled behind her and the blue flame encompassed everything around us.  
"DOVAHKIIN!"

'Get up.' I felt a kick in my ribs. My eyes snapped open abruptly and I gasped, clumsily sitting up as fast as I could.  
Nysteris was standing over me in full armour and cowl, the bright pinholes where her eyes were hidden pointed intensely at my face. I squinted at her, disoriented and confused.

'I've been waiting for you to wake up for hours.' She uncorked a small red bottle and handed it to me formally.  
'This'll fix the hangover.'  
I took it from her and quickly looked down to find that I was still in full armour; that dream. It was...  
'I was keeping watch for most of the night while you were in the grips of a drunken coma.' I ruffled my Mohawk roughly with my left hand and downed the potion with the other, blessedly grateful that my still present rigidity was well hidden beneath chitin armour, however uncomfortable it was.

I looked around and saw that she had packed everything ready for us to leave. The heavy bag was dropped at the foot of my bedroll.

'There are reavers nearby,' she said in a curt and formal tone. 'We can't linger here.' She cocked her head in the direction we were headed last night and began moving. 'Come on. The temple can't be far away now.'

Still dazed and confused, I picked up the bag and jogged after her.  
But that word was echoing in my head:  
'Dovahkiin.' 


	8. Chapter 9: Looters

I crouched behind a rocky outcrop as I watched Teldryn sneak quickly over to the nearest thicket of trees, dagger in hand. Between us was an encampment; A dying fire, two poorly constructed tents, and a large chest.  
By the fire, a weathered looking Dunmer man in bonemold armour lay on a bedroll, sleeping with his mouth open and surrounded by empty bottles. A Dunmer woman with a semi-shaved head sat on a tree stump next to one of the tents, muttering to herself and scraping the jelly from an ash hopper thorax. Their weapons had been left carelessly out of reach; there was no bow or quiver on the woman bandit's back.  
Teldryn had reached his designated spot just behind the first tent. I watched as he intently surveyed the camp from his crouched position, and then raised his hand slightly toward me to let me know he was prepared. His eyes bore into the reaver cleaning the ash hopper as he waited, tensed and ready.

I exhaled as I raised the bow and drew the arrow back in a controlled and fluid movement. The woman was unaware and focused on her task; she was stationary. This should not be difficult. I was in my element; from the right angle, I could break her neck. None of the hassles of a frantic casualty raising the alarm and alerting the other victims.

It didn't take long to find the right spot. Time slowed for a moment as I released and the elven arrow seared through the air, and I watched with a slight thrill as it struck its target, violently spearing the woman's neck as her red eyes widened in surprise and she toppled over. The ash hopper parts fell to the ground as she briefly coughed and choked, and then fell silent.

The instant she hit the ground, Teldryn sprang into action, moving swiftly toward the sleeping man with his dagger drawn. The reaver stirred; Teldryn quickly bore over him and shoved his knee onto the dunmer's back, forcing him face down onto his bed roll. He snarled and his eyes widened as Teldryn wrenched his head upward from under his chin with his left forearm, his knee still pressing hard into his back, pinning him down. Teldryn gripped his dagger and gritted his teeth.  
I watched feverishly from behind the rock with bated breath, the blood rushing to my face and a perverse sadism flaring in my chest as Teldryn reached around underneath the man's neck with his right hand, gripping the hilt of the dagger hard as the tip of it made first contact with the reaver's exposed skin.

I exhaled and shuddered with contentment as I watched Teldryn's dagger slide across the man's throat, opening it up like a pig's belly, blood gushing forth from the lengthening gash as panicked gurgles uttered forth from his severed chords. As soon as the cut had finished its line from ear to ear, Teldryn roughly shoved the reaver's face back down onto the bedroll, digging his knee into the dying man's back as he stood up.  
He looked down at the growing pool of blood for a moment before lifting his head to stare at me, his helmet making his expression seem serious and unreadable.  
'I think that went well.' His rasping voice was a deep, sarcastic monotone, and he slowly folded his arms as I sprinted down to stand before him. I wore a lecherous grin beneath my hood and did my best to hide my rapid breathing.  
'There aren't any more?' I tried to make my voice as neutral as possible, but my words bore a slight tone of disappointment and whining that I'd hoped to conceal.  
'No, I'm quite sure there aren't.' He paused for a moment. 'Was that what you were hoping for?'  
I scoffed and bumped him lightly with my shoulder as I went to retrieve my arrow from the dead woman's neck. 'Of course not,' I said bluntly, but I felt as though he'd somehow detected a hint of my bloodlust. I pushed aside my nervousness as I firmly planted my boot onto the woman's ribcage and pulled out the arrow, inspecting the tip. I frowned and cast it aside when I saw that it was bent.  
'You're quite the marksman. I had been expecting to take down both of these fetchers after you'd alerted them with your missed shot.' I could hear the half-smile in his voice. 'How did you become such a huntress? Hircine, I suppose?'  
'Practice.' I ignored his teasing. 'Probably the same way you became so good at slitting throats.'  
At this he laughed aloud, throwing his head back slightly, his arms still folded across his broad chest. 'Oh, Sera! You wound me.' He sauntered toward me as I crouched in front of the chest, inspecting the lock. I could almost feel the wide grin plastered on his face beneath his helmet. 'If only you didn't need to hire such a brute for such services.'  
His boots came to rest close to my back as he stood behind me, his proximity throwing my concentration. 'Help me with this, would you?' I slid a lockpick into the keyhole as I absently held out my bow for him to carry.  
'Wait,' he said suddenly, taking a step backward. I sprung up from my crouched position in front of the chest and dropped the lockpick as I snatched the bow from a slightly startled Teldryn, reaching over my shoulder for an arrow and ducking at the same time. 'What is it? Where?'

'Relax, Nysteris,' he said in a slightly firm tone, sheathing his bloody dagger. 'A courier.'

A courier?

I frowned and relaxed as I stood up, watching the figure in the not too far distance jogging up the ash hill toward us. A young Dunmer, Satchel at his side, wearing typical Dunmer attire. Teldryn stepped protectively in front of me as he approached, his frame blocking my view.  
'Let's hope he's not delivering another Honourable Writ of Execution,' he mumbled as he pierced the little dunmer with his stare.  
The boy was out of breath by the time he reached us; If he'd known how close he'd come to stumbling upon either a bandit camp or an execution in progress, he might be in a different state.  
'Your business?' Teldryn's tone was low and guarded.  
'A delivery,' the boy panted, 'For Miss Nysteris.'  
I stepped forward, gently pushing Teldryn aside. 'From whom?'  
'A mister... U... Urag gro... Shub?' he looked confused. 'I am sorry, miss. I only recieved the parcel from another courier at the Bulwark.' He diverted his gaze. 'I think it was dispatched some months ago. But... but you're very hard to locate, miss.' He reached into his satchel and produced a parcel. 'this is for you.'  
I took it from him warily. From Urag? It had been over a year since we'd spoken. 'You're dismissed,' I said absently to the courier as I began to unwrap the package. He took his leave quickly.  
The note:

Nysteris,

I know you didn't ask for a translation of the tome, but as the one who located it I thought it would be proper. Maybe you can keep it at home. Its scarcity should make it an interesting conversation piece.

Also, I'm still waiting for those tomes you promised to bring. Books like that don't fetch themselves. I'm getting impatient. I don't want them degrading in a damp cave somewhere.

In regards to your query before you left: I may know of somebody who could assist you. There is a mage whom has newly taken residence in Morthal who can reputedly cure the condition you speak of. Whether he's a fraud or not is hard to say. You'll need to find out for yourself.

I would ask that you try to refrain from visiting the college until your problem has been addressed. We have to keep security and safety as our highest priority. After the preservation of our great library, of course.

Urag

I ran my hand over the newly bound book and opened the cover, reading the first page:

The Diary Of Faire Agarwen.

For a moment I was crippled with the pain of memories from so long ago; memories I'd tried to forget; Urag had clearly forgotten why I had given the original book away in the first place; I had told him I wanted to be rid of it. The ache in my heart radiated throughout my body, and all of my collective weakness seemed to bubble to the surface.

It was Teldryn's hand on my shoulder which brought me back to this realm.

I slammed the book shut and thrust it at him as I turned away.  
'We're going to Skyrim.' 


	9. Chapter 10: Revelations

'As much as you can fit into that crate.' I nodded toward the wooden box that was sitting on the foor next to the bar.  
Geldis smiled knowingly. 'You're lucky that you're a friend of mine. Normally I'd be more worried about depriving my other customers.' He bent down to pick up the crate. 'I'm guessing you're not going to drink all of this by yourself.'  
'She's a fan of your handiwork,' I said with a smirk. 'She'll be missing it once we get to Skyrim if I don't get it while I can.'  
'To Skyrim?' Geldis raised an eyebrow. 'I thought you were done with all that.'  
'As did I,' I mumbled. He pushed a mug of liquid in front of me before turning away to fetch the multiple bottles of sujamma I'd asked for. 'I think you can get another layer of jugs in that crate, Geldis.' I grinned broadly.  
'Drink your Shein.' He placed four jars into the crate before leaning over the bar to talk again.  
'Say, if you happen to see Revyn while you're out there...'  
'Gah! No. Not Windhelm again.' I drained the mug of shein in one long draught and wiped my mouth. 'It'll be bad enough getting off at the docks. Wretched place.'  
Geldis thankfully dropped the subject. I knew he was eager to see how his brother was doing in the Gray Quarter, but my time in that place was over. I had no intention of ever visiting it again.  
'You know,' He said after an extended pause, 'One might wonder what you're up to, travelling alone with a lady and with that much drink in tow.'  
I smirked. 'It's the only way I can get her to talk.' I stood up from the bar stool. 'I can assure you my intentions toward my employer are nothing but noble.'  
'Yes... 'talk',' He said slowly, placing the last of the sujamma into the crate, shaking his head slightly as he did so. 'Well, best not keep her waiting in that room any longer then.'  
'Indeed,' I said dryly. 'She's getting very hot in there. Taking off all that armour, too.'  
Geldis simply stared at me.  
I leaned forward and whispered loudly to him. 'The room is too warm. She doesn't like the fireplace. From the... Colder parts, you see.'  
'Aaaaah.' A wide smile spread across his weathered face as I took the crate of sujamma. He chuckled. 'By Azura, I don't know what I was thinking.' Sarcasm suited him well.

I pushed the door to her room with my shoulder, carrying the heavy crate. 'I hope you're decent,' I said, deliberately not waiting for an answer as I strode into her room, proudly wielding the sujamma. 'I've found something to help us pass the time.'  
She was sitting at the small wooden table, arranging the coin and gems we had found in the reaver's chest earlier into two piles. Her back was facing me, and she didn't look up; her long, straight black hair was tied into a loose tail low on the back of her neck and fell down her back like a glossy black plume. Her long pointed ears protruded garishly from the sides of her head as she focused on her sorting.  
The glaringly white skin of her bare arms reflected the light of the fire nearby and the fabric of her long, dark blue sleeveless tunic made soft ruffling sounds as she reached down to the sack next to her to get another handful of coin.  
'I hope it's not chess.' Her voice was much calmer now than it had been earlier.  
I noticed a large empty potion bottle on the ground next to her bare feet. Like the ones I'd seen with her before.  
'Nothing as cerebral as that, I'm afraid,' I said brightly as I put the crate on the floor next to the table, sliding into the chair opposite her. 'The only thinking you'll need to do is to decide whether you'd like to get muddle-headed now, or save it for the boring trip on The Northern Maiden tomorrow.' I raised an eybow and grinned, lifting a bottle of sujamma up within her field of view and wiggling it around a little. She stopped counting coin and rested her elbows on the table, her big cat eyes scanning the bottle and then my face as she considered the proposal. 'You really want to be stuck on a boat for hours with a hangover in the morning?'  
'You had a potion to fix that last time.'  
'There was no boat last time.'  
'Has your snow elf magic stopped working since then?' I flashed her the most charming smile I could muster and gestured for the empty mug sitting next to her.  
Her face softened and a small smirk appeared on her lips as she passed me her mug. 'Well played.' I smugly poured the drink into it as she spoke. 'Although drinking during the day isn't usually a habit of mine.'  
'I'm not here to judge.'  
She laughed; a sweet sound. I was beginning to coax her out of her shell.

Over an hour had passed by; We were onto our second jar. The more she drank, the more of herself she revealed, and the more animated she became. It was a fascinating thing to watch; combined with the fact that it was also the first time that I had seen so much of her physically, it was an intoxicating experience. It was hard to believe at times that she was what she had also revealed herself to be: a very old entity and a stealth assassin. For all her unusual traits, at this moment in time, she seemed so... amiable. I could feel a touch of the predator stirring within me as the sujamma flowed.  
My intentions were not as noble as I had led Geldis to believe. While becoming intimate with her was certainly not something I would necessarily object to, my primary goal was to find answers. The drink would work far better than any honeyed words from me in that regard. How old was she? where did she come from? were there more of her kind there? What was she doing? Why did she need me with her? And that name... Dovahkiin.  
I had not forgotten that dream. 'I met Saint Jiub once,' I said matter-of-factly as I swirled my drink around in my cup. 'I was a little elf then. In Blacklight. At the time it was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to me.' I paused to take a drink. 'It's as you get older that you gain a new perspective on things. My opinion now is that he was something of a pompous s'wit.' She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.  
'What about you? What was it like meeting Nocturnal?'  
She sighed loudly. 'Frightening.' She paused. 'It's always the way with Daedric princes.'  
'However did you find yourself in that situation? I can't imagine the trouble you must have gotten into to get that far.'  
'Nocturnal is the guardian of the thieves guild,' she said quietly. 'We fell from her... his... favour at some point and needed to get it back. It involved returning something that had been stolen.' She smirked at the irony. 'But it's all fine now.'  
'We?' I said, doing my best to appear casual. I was becoming very interested by these latest revelations. 'You're a member of the guild, then?'  
'I've been getting by on my own for a long time now.' Her eyes were cast down into her mug. 'The thieves guild offered a way for me to make coin quickly and I was able to take advantage of my natural gifts to get it.' She smiled at me. 'As you can see, I'm not well suited to epic hand-to-hand battles.'  
'You seem more than able to handle yourself with your... more covert skill set.' I poured her another drink. 'I suppose those same talents have served you well in your assassin's guild?'  
'You could see it that way.'  
'Who taught you?'  
She looked up at me and paused for the longest time; Her face seemed sorrowful, strained. She quickly broke eye contact and looked back down again.  
'I taught myself.' She grabbed the mug and downed its entire contents. I raised an eyebrow.  
'That takes alot of dedication.'  
'No... Practice.' Her voice was becoming quiet.  
Another long silence from her; the noise of the fire crackled comfortingly in the background, and I patiently waited for her to continue.  
'After the Nords destroyed us... and the Snow Prince died...' Her voice trailed off, and her eyes gazed into the fire absently. 'Only a few of us remained. It was too late for us to do anything else.' Again she drank from her mug. She would be very much incapable soon.  
'We lost eachother. One by one. We were killed, or faded away; Soon, I was the only one left. I had no choice but to face a savage world. I stumbled through it. I was young, fearful, sheltered; I wasn't ready. I never had the chance to marry, to love, to grow or lead... The world was a snake pit. It was only through repeated tragedies, failures and lessons that I learned...'  
'You're strong. Stronger than you think. You've survived all these years and you are a powerful woman now.'  
She scoffed. 'I often think about what might have happened if he hadn't caught me... How many times my natural life would have run its course.'  
It was then that my heart stopped for a moment; Though my head was swimming in alcohol, the pieces were starting to fall into place.  
If she was alive at the time of the fall of her race, she would have to be thousands of years old. And the way she spoke of 'her natural life'...

'Who caught you?'

I knew the question was too direct. I was afraid she would recoil, but my need to know what had happened to her overrode my fear; I had to know what, and who, she was.  
There was a long silence from her. She was so still that she appeared like a statue; her eyes slowly rose to meet mine.  
'A vampire.'  
A vampire. Nysteris was a vampire.  
It took every fibre of my self control to stop myself from recoiling; A vampire. I had slept next to her. Been alone with her. Oh, by Azura.  
'He knew what I was before I did,' she continued quietly. 'He knew I was Dovahkiin... he said I was not needed yet, and that I must be preserved for a time when there were no more Dovahkiin left, a time when the World Eater would return... To swallow everything.'  
The World Eater... I Knew of that legend. I swallowed hard, still reeling from the revelation she had made to me only moments earlier.  
'Dovahkiin...?'  
'...Dragonborn.' 


	10. Chapter 11: The Boat

The hold of the Northern Maiden was small and cramped. Water sloshed around our feet; loud creaks echoed around us as the ship groaned with each dip in the waves. Everything stank of brine and borderline decay.  
It was still better than sitting above deck in the sun.  
I sat on a crate, hunched over with my arms crossed and my hands shoved into my armpits. A juvenile mudcrab skittered past my foot as I sighed into my mask.

'Relax, Teldryn. If I'd intended to kill you, you'd be dead already. And I wouldn't have bothered to pay you.'

He just stared at me, his expression coldly neutral. His blood-red Dunmer eyes burned into me, his lips frozen into a serious frown.

The silence passed awkwardly. I squirmed on my crate, wishing he'd start staring at something other than me. 'Why are you still here, then?' I snapped at him. 'You voluntarily left the service of a patron once because he wouldn't wash. Surely I've failed your 'Risk Assessment' by now.'  
He didn't flinch.  
'You haven't dismissed me from your service.' His stare continued to bore into me, as if he were fully prepared to spring into violent action at a moment's notice if I even leaned too close to him. 'I will continue to accompany you for as long as you continue to pay as well as you do,' he said in a deep, low monotone, 'and for as long as you keep your teeth out of my neck.'  
I scoffed, reaching into my bag to get the potion of blood. 'Ha. Don't flatter yourself.' I uncorked it and raised it to my lips, pulling down the cowl of my hood with my free hand. 'You all taste like ash, anyway.'  
His eyes widened a little, then squinted; the faintest grin appeared at the corner of his tattooed lips. 'Everything on Solstheim does, N'wah.'

I glared at him, the neck of the bottle still stuck in my mouth. I recognised the insult, but I decided to let it go.

'We didn't solve your Miraak problem.'  
'There are more important matters to deal with now.' I tossed the empty bottle onto the wooden boards. Teldryn frowned.  
'You're going to deal with those matters on top of the continued assassination attempts?'  
'There are always continued assassination attempts. Miraak is just one of the competitors.'  
'Which is where I come in, I assume.' He folded his arms and his eyes quickly flicked up and down my body. 'May I ask who the others are?'

I took a deep breath and looked down. If he was going to quit, then now would be the time.

'Cultists. Dawnguard. City guards. Hired thugs. Other vampires. Dragons.'  
'Dragons?' He almost spat out the words. His head turned away in disbelief and he ran a hand through his black mohawk. 'This is getting ridiculous.' He kicked the little mudcrab away that was crawling over his boot.  
'I can deal with them,' I immediately interjected, my voice low and firm. 'Mostly.' I paused for a moment as he glared at me.  
'I have no strength against fire,' I continued quietly. 'I am a creature borne of ice and snow.'  
'I see,' He said dryly. 'Being a vampire only makes it worse.'  
'I can imagine.' There was that look of repulsion again. I sighed loudly.  
'I didn't choose this,' I said, surprised to hear the almost pleading tone in my own voice. He merely sat there, arms folded, watching me.

'I wasn't going to bring you to Skyrim,' I said. 'But I see now that you have skills that I haven't been able to find in other mercenaries.'  
'You mean the willingness to stay in the patronage of a dragon slaying vampire?'  
'Stop it,' I spat angrily. I glared at him, waiting to see if he had any more sarcasm for me. He merely raised his eyebrows.  
'You Dark Elves have a good resistance to fire.'  
'I prefer Dunmer.'  
'Are you finished?' I was losing patience.  
'Maybe.'  
I sighed as I continued. 'You seem adept in both swordsmanship and magic use. You won't run off when your magicka runs out or go charging into battle irresponsibly and get yourself killed.'  
'Yes.'  
'You don't seem to be stupid. Arrogant maybe, but not stupid.' I paused. A smug grin spread across his face. He was enjoying having his ego stroked.  
'If you possess any of the typical Dunmer traits, I can use that.'  
'And what do you think those are, Sera?'  
'I only know so much. Your kind are strong; sly; cunning; intelligent; tenacious; promiscuous.'  
He threw his head back and laughed aloud. 'Promiscuity is a trait in my kind that you could use, Milady?'  
My gut sank and a great rush of blood went to my cheeks as I realised what I'd said. I couldn't think of anything to say; I'd never been more grateful for the presence of my cowl. 'N... no...' I stammered.  
'Well,' he said, lecherously, his white teeth gleaming through his wide smile as he leaned forward, 'You keep telling me that the way to become skilled at something... is through practice.'  
'D... Don't.' 'You'll need to pay extra for those services though. I can assure you I'm worth every coin.'  
'I'm serious. Stop it, Teldryn.'  
'Oh, I bet your face is as red as an ash yam under that hood... How long has it been? Hundreds of years? Do you remember what it's like?'  
Three loud raps on the deck above signalled that the boat had arrived in Windhelm.  
I leaped up as if I'd been stung. 'We're here,' I blurted. 'Get the stuff.' I scurried up the ladder and out of the trapdoor to the deck as fast as my limbs would take me.  
I could still hear him laughing as I emerged into the glare of daylight. My eyes stung and ached; My veins tingled and burned.  
'Anything else you need, Nysteris?' His voice was taunting and dripped with sin.  
'Ugh.' I shook my head in disgust. His face broke into another wide smile as he cocked an eyebrow.  
'We're going to Lakeview Manor. In Falkreath. It's where I live.' I squinted at the ice covered docks of Windhelm. The cold air soothed my blushing cheeks.  
Teldryn shouldered the heavy pack and followed me as I hopped from the ship onto the stone wharf. 'You're taking me home already?'  
I ignored him. 'Marcurio is expecting us. I sent word via courier while we were at The Netch.'  
'Ah. Is he your little steward whom I met in your room before?'  
'He's an apprentice wizard. I expect you to be polite and respectful.'  
'But he's still your steward.' He followed a few steps behind me. 'I hope he knows how to cook.'  
'He won't be making you ash yam stew or grilled hopper legs.'  
'You're really quite racist, you know.'  
I turned to face him. His smile was still there.  
'We're taking a wagon. Travelling by foot is too dangerous and would take forever.'  
'Then lead on.' he paused. 'On a more serious note,' he said matter-of-factly, 'Why are we going there?'  
'I think I've found someone who can cure me.'  
'Of...'  
'You know what.'  
He looked surprised. 'I didn't think that was possible.'  
'Neither did I.' I paused again. 'I need to get some things before we go to see him. The man who might be able to cure me.'  
'Is this the best time to be doing that?'  
I turned to look at him in astonishment. He'd recoiled from me like I was a monster earlier, and now he was questioning whether I should cure myself?  
'I'm assuming your condition grants you certain... advantages in stealth and combat?'  
I understood what he was trying to say. His point was valid.  
'Look,' I said flatly, stopping in my tracks and turning to face him. 'I've been this way for longer than I care to admit. It's never been something I wanted.' He frowned at me. 'It's an affliction,' I said quietly. 'Soon, I'm going to be undertaking something I've been waiting to do for centuries...' I trailed off as he eyed me warily. 'I'll be going to destroy Alduin. The World Eater.'  
Once again, he stared at me in disbelieving silence.  
'I think I'll be better off without bearing this affliction when that time comes.'  
I could see his mind working as he scanned my masked face. It seemed as though the gravity of the situation was finally beginning to become real for him; he nodded. 'You'll still be Dragonborn, after all.' He smiled faintly.  
'Yes.' I almost whispered the words as a sea of uncomfortable emotions swirled within me.  
I pulled myself out of it and turned quickly on my heel. 'Hurry up, Sero,' I said firmly. 'I hope you brought the sujamma.' 


	11. Chapter 12: Whisper

The coachman of the wagon wouldn't take us any further; It was dark, and he needed to water and rest his horses. Nysteris had told him to drop us off here.  
I had no idea where we were. I knew it was somewhere betweem Windhelm and Falkreath. A thick blanket of snow covered everything in sight; though the night was still, the biting cold penetrated me to the bone.  
I'd built a rough tent, a yurt, from long sticks and some animal skins I'd kept in my pack. Another skin laid on the snowy ground to keep the bedrolls from becoming soaked. The fire nearby was throwing a small amount of heat, but it wasn't catching on well. I'd occasionally poke it with a long stick or bathe it with a flame spell in between bites of bread. My chitin armour was laying next to the fire; The cloth of it was drenched from the melted snow. I shivered slightly as I sat there wearing only the linen wraps that were worn beneath the armour to prevent chafing; My chest and shoulders were completely exposed to the cold air.

Nysteris had been away from the camp for some time. She'd told me that she was going down to the nearby river; I could vaguely make out her stark white figure down by the banks, wearing only her undergarments and stamping on a sheet of ice covering the water, cracking it to create a hole. Though I strained to see her through the darkness, by the time my eyes had adjusted to the dim light, she had immersed herself up to her neck in the ice cold water.  
I stared in bewilderment as I watched her eyes close and she sighed, relaxing her head against the edge of the ice sheet.  
Such a thing would be almost suicidal for a Dunmer. Or for most men or mer. I shook my head and stared back into the flames.  
As I reached into my bag to find a bearskin to wrap around my shoulders, my fingers touched the smooth edge of a book. It took a moment for me to remember what it was; The book Nysteris had carelessly thrust toward me after she'd recieved the courier's letter in Solstheim. The one that had brought a tear to her eye.  
I quickly checked to see if she was still relaxing in her ice slurry by the river before furtively pulling it from the bag and opening the first page:

Diary Of Faire Agarwen Translated from original Falmer text by Urag Gro-Shub

I knew I probably didn't have enough time to read the entire book before she returned. My eyes skimmed over the page:

We have been shown a kindness by this family once known to the Snow Prince. Even in death his great influence has ensured our safety. We were separated from many of our kin along the road when it became increasingly difficult to travel discreetly in our numbers. We were forced to go our separate ways and travel only at night. I have heard no news of where the others may have gone and fear I never shall. Our lives are forever changed.

Further down:

At night I find it difficult not to focus on times past. There are moments in my rest when I still hear the laughter of the Young Ones at play in the valley. Other times I see the pale flicker of happy moments which were once so common in the land of the Snow Elves. I try not to dwell on these memories too long. Often our surroundings make it impossible to dwell on any happiness.

I frowned as I skimmed further and kept reading.

We know that we can never again be the Snow Elves and live freely in this world. We will be forever hiding in one form or another. But there is no reason we...

I Quickly looked up to see Nysteris walking through the snow, holding her armour in one hand and dressed in her undergarments. Tiny chunks of ice littered her long wet hair. She looked startling; Beautifully abnormal.

I stared for a moment too long before slamming the book shut and stuffing it underneath the animal skins.

The sight of so much of her bare skin, wet, glistening and white as the snow around it, was unhelpfully alluring. I turned my eyes back to the fire and bit off a chunk of bread.  
She tossed the armour carelessly onto the snow next to mine and went over to the sujamma crate to pick up a bottle. Her hips swayed slowly as she walked; The dip in the ice water had relaxed her in the same way that a hot bath would for a more regular person.  
'That's just not right.' I shook my head slowly at her as she walked toward me with the bottle. She just smiled at me as she uncorked the bottle with a loud pop.  
To my alarm, she continued to walk toward me with the bottle until she was standing in front of me in her small clothes; then, without a word, she sat down and wriggled her way underneath the bearskin I was wearing over my shoulders, still dripping with frigid water and fragments of ice.  
'Gah!' I yelped as her frigid skin touched my own. The cold was so intense that it felt like a burn. 'Damn it, woman!'  
She laughed loudly, throwing her head back. For the first time, I saw the vicious little pointed teeth that revealed her true nature; They gleamed like small ivory daggers in her mouth.  
'You're cruel.' I made an exaggerated scowl as she grinned at me and necked the bottle.  
though the cold was biting, the air was still and sweet; I took the bottle from her and drank from it as I watched the torch bugs drift slowly in the air next to the river bank.  
'Are you still scared?' She asked me quietly.  
'Scared?' I turned to look at her. 'I was never scared of you. Only wary.' I picked up the long stick and used it to stoke the fire again. It was becoming harder to try to ignore the fact that we were both wearing very little.  
She seemed quite happy with that; her huge eyes were half-lidded as she gave a small smile and passed her gaze over my bare chest. 'Good,' I heard her almost whisper.  
'What is it like?' I asked her. 'Being dragonborn.'  
She paused for a moment. 'I don't know what to tell you. Lonely, I suppose.' She stared into the fire. 'I've always been like this. It would be the same as me asking you what it's like to be Dunmer.'  
'But we Dunmer normally don't take out dragons with our voices.' I grinned. 'That is something that I would dearly love to see.'  
'You'll get your chance.' She smiled faintly.  
She looked me up and down, a look of thought on her face. It was then that she took my hand in her own and spoke in the gentlest voice, catching me off guard with her physical touch:  
'Come here. I want to show you something.'  
She shifted closer to me and the hand that was holding mine began to glow with a dim golden light; I watched her in cautious wonder, the little pieces of ice beginning to melt and trickle down between her breasts as she looked out at the river, and whispered the words:  
'Laas. Yah. Nir.'  
The words were quiet, but seemed so loud; They echoed and resonated within my chest.

I stared in open-mouthed wonder as swirling red mists suddenly bloomed into being all around us; Every torch bug, every fish in the river, the owls in the trees; Even Nysteris and I ourselves. Every living creature for as far as I could see was bathed in a soft light. In moments, the night had seemed to come alive. I was lost for words; The little spots of glowing light moved softly in the night air as the insects danced, and a streak rushed through the trees as a fox ran past us.

'Azura...' I whispered, entirely captivated. 'What did you do?'  
'It's the dragon voice.' She spoke quietly. 'We can see their life force.'  
I sat there for what seemed like an eternity, completely entranced. Nysteris sat patiently next to me, holding my hand; Her entire body and my own were awash with crimson glow.  
Soon, she gently let go of me and stood up; The beauty suddenly vanished as our hands parted, and the night became dark again. I blinked and continued to stare out at it.  
As I turned to speak to her, I saw that she was removing her wet clothes; She slipped the linen garment over her head, her small, firm breasts exposed to the cold night air.  
I knew that it would be proper for me to turn away; but I decided to push my luck, and continued to watch her. A sudden heat stirred within me.  
'What are you doing?' I almost whispered.  
'Going to bed.' She hooked her fingers into the sides of her underwear, but hesitated to pull them down. 'So should you.'  
'We only have one bed roll.' The other one was wet. I could feel a stirring between my legs. 'And I am sorry, Nysteris, but if you expect me to share it with you while you're... like that... And to remain untouched...'  
She looked me in the eye and interjected softly.

'... I don't.' 


	12. Chapter 13: The Union

I watched his face as he looked at me, absorbing what I had just said; The light of the fire cast a glow across his muscular chest and shoulders and made his eyes seem vivid and fiercely red. Slowly, he stood up and walked toward me, his gaze locked onto mine, unwinding the linen wraps that covered his wrists and hands as he approached.

It was then that I realised how much bigger he was than I. For a moment, I felt what seemed to be fear; My hands slowly went up to my shoulders to cover my exposed breasts. It was true that I was ready for him; I was yearning for his physical touch in a carnal way. But I did not know what to expect.

I held my breath as he stopped in front of me; my chin only reached to his shoulder. I could feel the heat emanating from his bare skin.

Slowly, he reached up with his right hand and gently brushed a lock of hair away from my face, curling it behind my ear. He lowered his face to me so that his lips almost touched the top of my head. A ripple of warmth coursed through my body as he spoke in a deep, quiet voice.  
'Are you sure, sera?' he murmured.

I leaned forward so that my chin touched his shoulder; He remained still for a moment, and then I felt his hand gently run down the length of my bare back. His hands were rough and hot; I felt another pulse of heat flow through me.  
'I've been wanting this for a long time.' He almost whispered the words into my ear as he soflty pulled me closer to him. He raised his left hand to my chin and gently guided my face upward; when his lips met mine in a soft kiss, I finally exhaled.  
The massive wave of desire that flared through my body was almost startling to me; I felt my knees bend ever so slightly and all of my muscles go limp. A strong ache began to grow between my legs. A faint moan escaped my lips as I put my arms around him and placed my hands on his back; I felt the heat of his skin and the firm muscles underneath.

My fingers slid down to his waist and began undoing the linen wrappings which covered his abdomen. At this, he broke away from the kiss and bent down to put his arm behind my knees, picking me up; I looked up at him, slightly nervous, as he carried me to the bear skin near the fire and gently laid me down upon my back. A sly smile spread across his face as he kneeled and slowly slid down my underwear, tossing them a short distance away and leaving me completely bare.

He leaned over me, his hand sliding up my belly and stopping as it reached my breast. He lowered his head to kiss me again as he gently pinched my sensitive nipple, and I inhaled sharply at the pleasurable sensation. My breathing became shallow; I could feel wetness clinging to my inner thighs. My hands reached down to find his manhood; he gave a small sigh as I gripped it through the fabric of his trousers. He was already wonderfully hard. And bigger than I had anticipated. My fingers deftly searched for a way to remove the clothing between us.

His hand quickly went down to grab my wrist. 'Not yet, sera,' he murmured into my ear. I could hear the smug smile in his voice as he gently grazed his teeth against my neck. 'We don't need to rush.'  
He slowly trailed his lips down my neck and collarbone, his hot breath burning against my skin, until his mouth reached my other breast; his lips parted as his tongue flicked out to lick the hard tip there before he enclosed his mouth around it, gently sucking while his fingers worked on the other, pinching and pulling gently. I moaned gently and thrust my hips up toward him. I was so driven with the urge to recieve him that I feared that I would not last for long. The ache in my loins was becoming unbearable.  
He lifted his head up from his work and looked at me; my face was flushed and my breathing was laboured. He still seemed so calm, even though I knew that he was so hard. His eyes slowly passed over my breasts and travelled down to my sex. He smiled again; then he began to move down.  
He firmly but gently pushed my legs apart with his hands as he settled between them. I tensed slightly in anticipation of what was to come; he stroked my inner thigh as he purred to me. 'Relax, my little vampire. You will have what you want soon enough.'  
It was then that I felt his fingers part my inner lips, and his hot, wet tongue slide up and over my most sensitive and secret part.  
My resolve was lost; I whimpered as his lips locked down and he began to gently suck. My breathing became frantic and deep as I felt my climax building. I tried to speak through rushed breaths.  
'Teldryn... wait... please...'  
He was already beginning to slide his remaining clothing off. He could see that I was so close to my peak; He didn't need to wait any longer.  
He slid his arm underneath my neck and used his other hand to lift up my leg; I could feel his rigid length touching the wetness of my aching sex. His face lowered next to my ear, and I heard him grit his teeth and snarl ever so quietly as in one hard thrust, he drove his entire length as deep within me as it would go.  
It was all that was required. I heard him give a quiet, deep moan as I cried out, my climax ripping through my body as my muscles spasmed around his length. He exhaled loudly as I dug my fingernails into his back and my head spun. There was some pain, as Teldryn was well endowed; but it only served to enhance the heaven that I was experiencing.  
He remained still within me as I went limp and slowly came back down to this plane. A great peace came over me; When my eyes slowly opened, I saw him looking down at me, a small smile upon his face.  
'Oh, Gods.' I exhaled the words rather than said them. His smile broadened ever so slightly.  
'Don't go giving up on me,' he said softly. 'I'm not finished with you yet.'  
I wrapped my arms around his neck as he lowered his face to kiss me again; this time, his tongue ran across my teeth as he explored my mouth. Slowly and gently, he began to move his hips; I gave a small, pleading sigh as I felt him moving within me.  
It was then that Teldryn decided to use his trump card.  
I felt his tongue moving along my teeth; when he found one of my sharp canines, his tongue stopped. Before I realised what he was doing, he pressed it hard against the pointed tip of the fang. I could suddenly taste his blood as it slowly began to fill my mouth.

The taste and sensation of it ripped through me like fire. I moaned loudly and thrust my hips up to meet him, hungrily and forcefully meeting his kiss as I felt a trickle of blood trail down from the corner of my mouth. I had become wild; Teldryn had known exactly what to do to get my second wind.  
His thrusts became faster, harder, more urgent; My body shook each time he drove into me, and he moaned deeply , panting for breath from the corner of his mouth. The blood kept flowing; His hand gripped my shoulder hard as we both raced toward our mutual apex.  
As I cried out at the first intense rush, He followed; He drove hard into me one last time, almost gasping as his fingers dug into me and his muscles tensed, and I felt him pulse inside of me as he filled me with heat.

He closed his eyes and buried his face into my neck as he caught his breath. I went limp all over again, the tingling sensation still quietly rippling through my body.  
We stayed locked together for what seemed forever; Eventually he gently withdrew, carefully removing his arm from under my neck and lowering my leg.  
I laid there naked as I watched him slip into his bedroll, still naked.  
'Don't tell me you're going to sleep,' I said dryly.  
'Of course I am,' He said with a sly smile. 'It's freezing out here.' 


	13. Chapter 14: Dragon Blood

'Are we there yet?' I affected my best nasal whine as I dragged my feet and gave her a sly sideways grin.

She turned her unmasked face toward me and gave me a sarcastic smirk. The hood cast a shadow over her skin, but I could see that she was in mild discomfort from the bright rays of the sun. We were clinging to the shade of the tall forest trees which lined the side of the road as we walked. 'Not far now,' she said dryly. 'Just over the next hill. Man up.'  
'Man up!' I feigned an offended tone as I smiled widely and reached out to playfully grab her. She nimbly hopped just out of my reach.  
'You didn't complain last night.' I purred in the sleaziest tone I could manage.  
'Disgusting.' She muttered to herself and averted her eyes to the gound as she trudged forward. A faint pink bloom flourished across her cheeks.  
'Ah! and there we have it.' I laughed slowly. 'You can make a Snow Elf blush.'

She flung her fist back behind her and hit me in the chest. I laughed a little louder.

Suddenly she stopped in her tracks. 'Wait,' she almost whispered. She reached backward and put her hand flat on my chest, signalling me to stop moving as she squinted her eyes slowly and listened; Stray strands of long black hair slowly blew across her face as she stood perfectly still, straining to hear. I took a step backward and followed her lead. Slowly, I began to hear it too; a low rumble, slowly building in intensity.  
Nysteris turned her face toward the sky.

A great shadow suddenly cast over us as the most immense roar I had ever heard ripped through the air above. A blast of wind rushed toward us as a great whoosh rang out from the skies; The smell of smoke blew through the trees as my ears rang and I staggered backward in shock, My hand flying to grip the hilt of my sword.

As if in slow motion, I saw her eyes widen; My ears were still ringing from the shattering scream of the creature as I saw her expression change from one of shock to one of anger as she turned and shouted at me, her fangs bared. I could hardly hear, but I saw the words form on her lips:

'Teldryn! Move!'

I immediately dropped the heavy bag as she and I both sprung away from where we were standing in almost perfect synchrony; A massive gout of flame razed the ground where we had been seconds earlier. Nysteris rolled as she landed, and quickly shrouded herself with a frost cloak spell as she reached for the bow on her back.

The dragon beat its massive wings as it began to turn in the air. Its huge mouth, lined with jagged teeth, stretched open unnaturally wide as it unleashed another deafening roar and turned its enormous head toward Nysteris. I could see her crouched between two tall trees, left hand reared back as she summoned another spell, her right hand tightly gripping her bow.

The creature was huge. In all of my years, nothing I had ever witnessed could even compare to the terrible sight of it. For a few seconds, all that I could do was stare in horror; None of it seemed as though it could be real, as though I was watching while trapped in a space between realities.  
It was the sight of the dragon roaring suddenly in rage as the ice spike wedged into its chest that jarred me back to my senses.

My right hand erupted into flame as I hurled the firebolt at the beast. I finally drew my sword as the flames made contact with the dragon's wing and threw its head back as it tilted in the air, skimming the tops of the trees as it tried to balance itself.

Now was no time to be hesitating. I raised another firebolt as I rushed toward Nysteris.

She was out in the open now, arms braced by her sides, her vicious glare fixed upon the dragon as it looped in the air and rushed down toward us. A glow began to spark within its open mouth as it prepared to drown us in fire.

'What are you doing!' I roared at her over the deafening sound as she stood there staring the monster down. 'Move! Get out of the way!'

Just as I prepared to dive at her to push her to safety, I saw her summon all of her strength and rage; She opened her mouth, and the moment that I realised what was happening, I gritted my teeth and braced for the noise.

'JOOR... ZAH... FRUL!'

The sheer power bent the air around us as the bolus of dark blue force connected head on with the dragon. I shoved Nysteris out of the way as the monster screamed and recoiled, crashing into the ground, earth and rock exploding up all around me as it skidded to a halt and hissed.  
This was it. I gripped my sword and rushed toward it, adrenaline pulsing through my veins as I leaped to the side out of its path, bringing my blade down hard into the side of the dragon's neck.  
Hot, thick blood spurted from the wound as an angry roar emerged from the creature; It swooped its massive jaws around and snapped them shut with such force that I was nearly thrown backward. I leaped away; Only inches had existed between me and a horrific but heroic death.  
The dragon blood was all over my face and stung in my eyes; I roared as I raised my sword above my head, bringing it down with all my force to rend a deep, bloody slash underneath the dragon's eye.  
The roar was deafening. The furious beast reared up onto its hind legs and spread its wings, casting everything into shadow around me. I gritted my teeth and almost lost grip of my weapon as the sound seared through my head. It was then that the brutal gout of flame gushed over me like a condemnation from the gods.

I was suddenly detached; I knew I was bathed in fire, but my legs would not move me. For the second time, I felt ephemeral, as If I was in a dream, somewhere far away from here.

A blow so heavy that it cracked my armour hit me from the side. I grunted and hit the ground; The dragon's huge tail swooped overhead as it turned to face Nysteris.

As I lay on my side coughing, I could see her; A huge gash ripped down the side of her body. She was standing in a pool of her own blood, her torso burnt and blistered. Her eyes were aglow and her face bore a vicious snarl, and her bow was tense, her arrow aimed at the dragon's head.

As the monster shook the ground as it thundered toward her, she released.  
The arrow sung through the air as it found its target. When it hit the dragon's eyeball, an explosion of light cracked from it; My vision became blank as everything was consumed in its blinding glare.  
The dragon roared for a final time; as the light faded, its lifeless body came crashing down to the ground next to me, one of the spines on its back cutting a deep gash into the back of my leg as it fell. I hissed as I felt the pain rip through me.

Suddenly, the peace had returned; Ambience slowly flooded back to my ears as I forced myself onto my feet.

I stood up just as I saw Nysteris fall to her knees. She exhaled loudly, her long black hair matted with her own blood; She stared silently and blankly at me for the briefest moment before falling forward with her palms on the ground, her head hanging limply as her shivering arms supported her.

I limped slightly as I ran to her, removing my right gauntlet and unwinding the linen wrappings that covered my wrists. She feebly looked up at me as I kneeled in front of her.

'Stay still, sera,' I whispered urgently. 'You're badly hurt.' I gently took her by the shoulders and laid her onto my lap, examining the deep wound on her flank. She reached up and pushed my hand away, trying to sit up as she did so. 'Wait,' she said bluntly. 'It's not over yet.'

I saw her eyes fix upon the carcass of the dragon; I followed her gaze, confused and cautious.

The great corpse had begun to glow and blister.

Suddenly, a memory came flooding back to me; A memory of a dream. The dream with the burning dragon, of Nysteris with her legs wrapped around me. 'Dovahkiin,' It whispered into my mind.

As the skin and scales of the beast burned away and the bones revealed themselves, the same ribbons of light sprung from the fiery gleam and wove through the air towards her body as she sat there, panting and covered with blood. She slowly closed her eyes as the shimmer reached her, and the last of the dragon flesh seared away from the bare skeleton before her.

I kneeled next to her, transfixed and mesmerised. The Dragonborn. 


	14. Chapter 15: Recovery

I coughed loudly, blood flecking my lips as I winced in pain.  
Despite my wounds, I felt at peace; My head flopped back and came to rest on one of the chitin plates of Teldryn's armour. I felt his hand rest on my side next to the bleeding wound.  
My eyes slowly opened and I looked up at him.  
The expression upon his face was one I hadn't seen before; One of concern and cautious awe. His eyes searched my face as he furrowed his brow, his lips slightly parted in a small frown as he began to speak. All of him was streaked with dark red blood.  
'Gods, Nysteris.' He gently shook his head as his gaze returned to the open gash.

'The bag, Teldryn,' I croaked. 'Where is it?'  
He helped me up into a sitting position as he stood and turned to retrieve it. I saw the cut on the back of his thigh; I heard the slightest hiss from him as he stretched forward to grab the bag, and the wound opened slightly, a fresh flow of blood slowly staining the fabric of his trousers and the crimson red pool growing outward in a bloody flower.

Even in my damaged state, the sight of it stirred my hunger.

I reached out and dragged the bag toward me, lifting the flap and plunging my hand inside, desperately rummaging for the bottle of blood potion. It was the only one I had left, and my only hope for healing myself; My magicka had run dry, and I had no hope of recovering either it or my wounds while I was exposed to the harsh sunlight.

My heart sank as my fingers touched the large fragments of broken glass that were scattered across the bottom of the satchel. The wetness of the spilled potion filled me with a surge of panic as it covered my fingertips.  
'No,' I whispered desperately. 'No...'  
Teldryn snatched the bag from me and reached into it, pulling up the broken shards. Although I had never told him what the potion was for, I knew he was quick-witted enough to have figured it out for himself. He paused for a moment before he threw the broken fragments onto the ground and stood, tossing the bag onto his shoulder as he bent down to scoop me up.  
'Put me down. I can walk,' I said weakly, even as I wrapped my arms around his neck. He scoffed.  
'Don't be stupid,' he said in his deep, rasping voice through clenched teeth. I could tell he was in pain as he swiftly strode forward, one of his arms supporting me around my back with his hand firmly gripping my ribs and the other holding up my legs underneath my knees.  
'Watch your tongue,' I drawled clumsily as I felt my eyelids become heavy, and my vision became dark. 'I'm paying you...'  
'Keep your eyes open.' He shook my shoulders firmly. 'Tell me where your house is.'  
'Take me to Marcurio.' I could feel myself fading out of consciousness as he shook me again, his voice desperate and angry.  
'Wake up! Open your eyes, fetcher!'  
But I couldn't; I felt my head roll back as a heavy nausea rolled over me, and everything faded away.

I could feel cloth against my skin. The air was hot again, and I could hear the sound of a crackling fire; The smell of food was all around.  
Slowly, The familiar pain in my side returned; I grimaced as I opened my eyes, finding myself staring at the canopy above my bed.  
I was home.  
'Nice place you have here,' a familiar voice said slowly in a light, lilting tone. 'I never knew you were so wealthy.'  
I turned my head to the side to see Teldryn, bare chested and his elbows resting on his knees. He smiled at me softly as he sat on the chair next to my bed. I saw the huge blue and purple bruise on his ribs as he turned toward me in his seat.  
'We managed to stop the bleeding.' His eyes flicked up and down my body quickly. 'How do you feel?'  
'Ungh.' I groaned as I rolled to face him in the bed. My torso was swathed in bandages underneath a thin cotton dress. I momentarily became embarrassed at the idea that somebody had removed my armour while I'd been passed out.  
'I figured as much.' He smirked. 'Relax, sera,' he said gently. 'Your friend claims that he can fix you up in short order.'  
I was confused for a moment; Teldryn then sat up slightly, his face raised up as he sung out.  
'Oh steward,' He loudly called out in a singsong voice, dripping with sarcasm. 'Your princess is awake.'

I heard the sound of rapid footsteps descending the stairs, and Marcurio appeared in the doorway shortly after. His hair was untied and slightly mussed; He exhaled and relaxed slightly as he looked at me, a smile of relief growing on his face. 'Oh, gods be praised.' He moved forward and gently sat on the bed next to me. 'I thought I'd finally lost you to the void.'  
The rush of relief that washed over me as I saw him was joyous; the feeling of reuniting with a long lost friend. I smiled at him as I sat up and my hand gently cradled his face, then slid down his neck to rest on his shoulder. 'I knew you'd save me,' I murmured gently. He moved forward and wrapped his arms around me in a warm embrace.  
After a few moments, I started to feel the pain of my wounds throbbing beneath the wrappings; I pushed him gently away and looked him in the eye.  
'Marcurio...' I said quietly.  
He knew what I was asking of him. He nodded slowly, then turned his face down; A small furrow appeared on his brow.  
His head quickly raised and he glared at Teldryn. 'You, sellsword.' He barked at him. 'Get out.'  
Teldryn slowly leaned back in his chair and folded his muscular arms across his bare chest. His tone was low and threatening.  
'I'm not going anywhere, housekeeper.' His red eyes narrowed as a menacing smile spread across his tattooed lips and he stared at Marcurio.  
'He knows,' I said to Marcurio quietly, brushing his long auburn hair away from his neck with my finger. 'Please,' I whispered. 'It will be the last time.'  
He stopped glaring at Teldryn and looked at me, his eyes searching my face; a small sigh escaped his lips. Slowly, he put his arm around my back and leaned forward, then waited.  
I put a hand on the back of his head and gently pushed him toward me; as my lips touched his neck, I felt his body tense.  
'Thank you,' I murmured as I pressed my teeth onto his skin and heard a tiny pop as my canines punctured his flesh, and the hot blood gushed into my mouth.  
It was not pleasant for him; I felt his fingers dig into my back as I drank, biting harder to increase the flow. I felt my flesh knitting together as the tingling heat rippled through me. In my ecstasy, I could feel Marcurio gasping quietly in pain as he addressed Teldryn.

'You bastard,' he hissed at him through clenched teeth. 'You should have done this for her. You should have helped her.'

'Terms of employment, I'm afraid.' His tone was flat. 'She asked for you by name, in any case.' Teldryn's voice dropped to a low, taunting growl. 'Smart girl. She knew you'd roll over easily.'

'Teldryn!' I snapped, ripping myself away from Marcurio and glaring at him, blood covering my teeth and dripping down my chin. Marcurio grimaced and fell backward, His hand flying up to cover the wound as he stared daggers at Teldryn.

'Oh, would you look at that, sera,' he said, smiling brightly. 'You're all better.' 


	15. Chapter 16: Thrall

'Perhaps we started off on the wrong foot.' I leaned against the doorframe with my arms folded, watching him as he flipped through a thick purple book bearing a daedric symbol on its cover. An uncorked jar of Blackbriar Reserve sat on the small table next to his chair in front of the fire.  
He sighed loudly as he picked it up, speaking in a droll tone as he lifted it to his lips, not bothering to turn and face me. 'Nysteris made you come and do this, didn't she?'

I smiled to myself. 'Not entirely.' I paused briefly, waiting to see if he was going to add anything further. When he remained silent, I quietly continued.  
'Trying circumstances often bring out the worst in us.' He turned his head slightly toward me as I spoke so that I could see his profile. 'You may well have saved her life by doing what you did.'  
Marcurio scoffed, his back still facing me. 'She can't be put down that easily.' He licked his thumb and turned the page of his book, casting his eyes back down as he continued to read. 'I don't think you've realised what it is you're dealing with yet. Maybe you are as stupid as you look.'  
'Maybe I am.' I didn't appreciate the insult, but I restrained myself. The man had just had his neck bitten open by a vampire only hours earlier while I had watched and deliberately antagonised him; The least I could do is allow him to have his fair share of cheap shots to compensate for the loss of dignity.

'I'd wager she bought you in that cheap tavern in Raven Rock and paid you twice the amount that you charged.' He picked up the bottle again and drained the last of it into his mouth, putting it down beside his chair as he finished and picked up two more with the same hand, putting them both on the table next to him as he closed the book in his lap. 'How did you discover what she was? Did you catch her in the act? Or did you wake up with your neck in her mouth?' He uncorked one of the jars and glanced at me. 'You'll end up like Vorstag.'  
He was not an older man; Judging from what I knew of the way men aged, he could not have been any older than his early thirties. Although I supposed that he was handsome enough by human standards, his face was weary. He wore the aura of a man burdened with sorrow.  
His shiny hair was tied back into a low ponytail; It was as I looked for the remnants of the fresh damage that Nysteris had done to him that I saw the scars - although he had healed himself, his neck was covered in scores of small pearlescent punctures and cuts.

It was then that I realised what was happening to him; He loved her. She was feeding from him like a thrall; It was his devotion to her which kept him bound here. Becoming her servant was the only way he could be of use to her, the only way she would keep him close.  
It was why she had told me to bring her to him when she was wounded; She needed his blood.  
Despite the horror that surged within me as I comprehended the implications of it all, when I looked at him, I felt only pity.

'I'm a mercenary,' I said, slowly pushing myself away from the doorframe and standing up straight, letting my arms fall to my sides. I shrugged very slightly as I spoke. 'The more my patron is willing to pay, the more danger I'll willingly put myself into.' I produced a bottle of argonian bloodwine I'd borrowed from the kitchen earlier and walked toward the chair opposite where he was sitting. 'And she pays well.'  
I saw a small smile appear on his lips as he pushed the chair out for me with his foot. 'I can relate to that,' he said, the coldness dropping from his tone. 'I was too when I met her.'  
'Ah,' I said as I smiled and raised the dark green glass toward him slightly. 'So we understand eachother.' I uncorked the wine and necked the bottle. I screwed my face up dramatically at the taste of it. 'Ugh.' I sat down on the wooden chair and shook my head.

'Are you afraid?'

The question took me by surprise; I looked at him as he took another deep draught of mead. He wasn't looking at me any more; His eyes were glassy as they stared absently into the fire. He was a little drunk.  
I thought about what he had asked me for a few long moments; I remembered when Nysteris had asked me the same question on the night I had intimately embraced her. My answer to her had been truthful at the time; But that was before I'd seen her mouth full of blood, before I'd seen her shout a dragon to the ground and absorb its very soul.

'I don't know.' My own words disturbed me a little as I spoke them. 'Things keep changing.'

'I used to wonder if she was truly evil.' He spoke as if he hadn't heard me. The fire crackled and popped comfortingly in front of me; I watched Marcurio as he spoke, his tanned face bathed in the light of the flames. 'But now I think that she's been a monster for so long, she doesn't understand that it's... that it's so abnormal... to kill like that.' He paused. 'For all their brilliance, the Snow Elves were a cold hearted race.'  
'Over a thousand years of killing will change a person.' A feeling of fear swelled within me; I tried to picture Nysteris as I knew her, memories of her happily drunk, of her laughing shyly as she hid her mouth behind her hand. Even that had taken on an ominous meaning as I remembered it in hindsight. 'You know we're going to Morthal tomorrow.' I turned to look at him as I spoke; he returned my glance. 'She could be cured by the next time you see her.'  
'Do you think it will change her mind?' His voice was quiet and slow. 'When she's brought back to life.'  
'There's no way to know.' I tried my hardest to ignore the thought of her being undead; an animated corpse.  
'...no. There isn't.'

I smiled at him slightly as I stared at him; I quietly got up from my chair and grabbed the wine bottle, extending my hand towards him. He smiled as he stood up and grabbed me firmly by the wrist. 'May your gods guide you.'  
'And yours you.'

With that, I turned away from him and headed toward the door.  
It was dark outside; I was going to the lake.  
-

I could see her white skin glowing in the dark as she bathed. The water reached to just below the tips of her long hair; I sat on the grass next to her clothes, watching her and drinking the bloodwine as I waited for her to finish.  
I made it through two thirds of the bottle before she finally emerged from the lake, gloriously naked and dripping wet. I'd already hidden her clothes behind some nearby rocks. I was certain that she knew that I had been there the whole time, and that she knew I had hidden her dress. There was no way a creature like her could have missed it.  
'Good evening, my dear.' I smiled widely as I walked toward her, shirtless and just drunk enough to be confident. 'I must say, I do like what you're wearing. And your wine.'  
Her huge, pale green eyes stared up at me as she stopped in front of me, completely naked with her hair draped over her breasts. Her face was blank and serious.  
'You called me a fetcher this morning. And I see you stole my wine.'  
'Yes I did. It's terrible.' I saw the slightest grin crack her serious expression, as though she was trying not to smile.  
'I wouldn't have called you a fetcher if you'd done as you were told.' I grinned mischeviously and slipped an arm around her back, offering her the remnants of the wine.  
She finally smiled as I pulled her toward me, and she knocked the bottle out of my hand. I feigned an expression of horror as it hit the ground and spilled onto the grass.  
'It's time I decided what to do with you.' She pushed me down onto the grassy bank and pressed her lips against mine.

Now, at this moment, I was too distracted to be afraid. 


	16. Chapter 17: No more ale

'My mother was a scholar,' said Teldryn, his mouth full of bread as he lifted the flagon to his lips. 'Father was Redoran Guard.' He paused to take a long draught of ale from the flagon and brushed the crumbs from the table in front of him. 'We didn't see him often.' He turned his head to the side slightly to look at me, still chewing.  
'In Blacklight?'  
He nodded. 'We moved there eventually, when I was nine.'  
I smiled softly at him, watching him as he spoke. 'And then you became the terror of the city.'  
He grinned, his expression full of mischief. 'I built up to it.' he raised an eyebrow. 'My mother thought I was studying. My father thought I was training. I don't know what I thought I was doing.'  
My smile broadened. Despite his relentless sarcasm and antagonistic nature, Teldryn was beginning to grow on me. His presence was a comfort to me, and his curiosity, while sometimes irritating, always ensured there were no awkward silences.  
'My father was determined that I would join the ranks of the Redoran Guard when I was old enough. I was his only child. He was a very serious man, but he was quite proud of the fact that I was strong and fiery.' He shrugged. 'And handsome, of course.'  
I scoffed. 'Don't forget modest.'  
'The most modest of them all.' He flashed his teeth at me in a proud smile.  
'Did you?' I asked, drinking from my flagon. 'Join the Redoran Guard.'  
He frowned slightly. 'In a manner of speaking.' His voice was slightly muffled as he spoke with his mouth full. 'I began training with them at my father's insistence when I was twelve.' He gave me another smile. 'But although I was very gifted in combat, I didn't respond well to discipline. Or taking orders.'  
I laughed quietly. 'Your father wouldn't have been pleased.'  
'No... He wasn't.' 'What happened?'  
'Well,' he began, 'When I was seventeen, I told him I was leaving. I'd already become relatively well known for my skills with a blade around Blacklight, and I decided I'd rather pursue coin, adventure and women.' He shrugged slightly. 'So I became a mercenary.' A wicked smile spread across his lips. 'I found no shortage of what I was seeking.'  
'You've been a mercenary ever since?'  
'Yes.'  
'And you have no regrets?'  
He paused for a moment. 'No,' he murmured. He stared absently at the table in front of him. 'I would have made a terrible husband.'  
'So you've never been married? Had children?'  
He laughed soflty. 'No. And no children that I know of.' He glanced at me. 'Why do you ask?'  
'I'm just curious.' I looked into his eyes over the top of my flagon as I drank.  
The tavern we were staying at in Morthal was humble. We were the only ones here; We had been travelling without rest for almost two days. The man we had come to see, Falion, had told us to meet him at dawn in the nearby swamp. It was only beginning to darken outside; We had alot of waiting to do.  
'Drink up.' He nudged me with his shoulder. 'I'm going to get you drunk.' 'What for?' I gave him a sly grin.  
'You barely speak to me otherwise.' He went to top up my mug with ale. 'A man has to do what he has to do.'  
I groaned. 'Don't we have any sujamma? This ale is awful.'  
'Haha!' He laughed brightly, his teeth gleaming as he did so. 'We ran out of that two days after leaving Morrowind. Geldis will be happy to hear that he's got you hooked.'  
I frowned. 'You make it seem as if I'm a skooma fiend.'  
'Are you?' He wore an exaggerated expression of surprise. I bumped him with my shoulder and shook my head gently. He smiled.

'So, what about you, sera?' His voice was polite and friendly. 'I've told you about my roots.'

I paused, an uncomfortable feeling swelling inside of me. I sighed, giving him a baleful stare. 'What do you want to know?'  
He paused for a moment, his grey hand resting on the tabled as he observed me. 'Well,' he began. 'I'm feeling bold. There is a question I've been dying to ask you.'  
'Yes...' I murmured reluctantly.

'Who is Faire Agarwen?'

I glared up at him, a feeling of violation suddenly burning in my chest. 'You read the book?' I almost hissed.  
He didn't flinch as he gazed at me. 'You gave it to me, remember?' An innocent smile appeared on his tattooed lips. 'Come now,' He said in a soothing tone. 'Indulge me.'

A long silence passed between us as I decided whether to answer him. He continued to patiently gaze at me, waiting for me to speak.  
'...She was my sister. My twin.'  
'Your twin?' His voice was quiet and gentle. 'She must have been lovely.'  
'She was.' I took a long swig of bitter ale. Teldryn dutifully refilled my flagon, waiting for me to continue.  
I sighed. We had time to kill; I didn't see the harm in sharing with him.  
'Our mother was a priestess of Auriel,' I began. '... Akatosh.' I saw a spark light up in his eye as I began to talk. That curiosity of his was being fed. 'Our father was a General.' I paused before continuing.  
'They were very much in love. My father was a great warrior; He served under the Snow Prince and was beloved of our people. My mother was like an angel. Her beauty was renowned; As was her chastity. Father used to tell us that Auriel had blessed him by delivering her into his arms.' A powerful wave of sorrow almost overwhelmed me; I suppressed it and continued to speak.  
'So when Faire and I were born, the people rejoiced. Snow Elf children are slow to come; To be gifted with two at once was extremely rare. Everybody said that we were a great blessing granted upon our parents by Auriel in thanks for their faithful service. '  
His expression softened as he looked at me, still silent. He was absorbing everything I said like a sponge.  
'Faire was as light as I was dark. Her hair was white and her eyes were golden; Her eyes...' I trailed off before bringing myself back. 'It was a rare thing among our kind.  
'Although my hair was as black as a wet crow's wing... also rare for my kind... and my eyes were blue, we were physically identical. But although were were inseparable - at times I was sure we could feel eachother's thoughts - our natures were fundamentally different.  
'Faire was serene, almost holy; She was so placid and benevolent that she often seemed that she was not of this world. There was no question that she was destined for the Chantry. I was different; While not malicious or savage, I was a thinker. I loved the twilight and I often voiced my opinion when perhaps it was not needed. I was a warrior at heart. I longed to reach the battlefield as a girl and win glory and honour. I'd practice with my father all of the time when he was home with us.  
'While Faire was like my mother, I was the essence of my father. He and The Snow Prince were my idols.'  
I smiled, lost far away in my thoughts. I kept reminding myself that I was telling a story; Teldryn continued to listen, a fascinated expression on his face.  
'The people called us The Sun and Moon; The Light and Dark. The blessed twins. They came to our parents and made offerings and gave us blessings. The Arch Curate Vyrthur himself came to us on more than one occasion, to meet us and behold our countenance.  
'A priest once told us that we were one soul, split into two bodies; That Auriel had great things planned for us. He said that we were the balance in eachother. Faire kept me noble, I kept her strong.'  
I stopped; I thought about what I was going to say next, whether I even should mention it. It had not borne any decipherable meaning to me at the time; It was only in hindsight that I noticed its significance. 'We were taken once... To the valley, to the lake... By a high priest. To meet and make tribute to the twin revered dragons, the avatars of Auriel, Naaslarum and Voslaarum.' My voice became quiet; almost a whisper. 'They were tame then.'  
Teldryn was staring at me, his mouth hanging open ever so slightly. I pulled out of my musings and continued. I didn't want to keep talking about this forever. I could feel tears beginning to well in my eyes; a faint red mist began to haze my vision. I straightened up in my chair, reaching for my flagon.  
'My father fell by the Snow Prince's side at the battle of Moesring. Faire and I were only ten years old.' I turned my face away from Teldryn. 'The battle was the defining moment in our war with the Nords which sealed our fate.' I drank again.  
'Mother kept us at the chantry and the knight paladins of Auriel guarded us. Gelebor was like a father to me. They all stayed there until the Betrayed drove them out and slaughtered them years later.'  
I wiped a bloody tear away from my face. 'At least I assumed that is what happened; I didn't find Faire's diary until hundreds of years after.'  
'What happened to you?' Teldryn asked ever so tenderly. 'You weren't at the chantry?'  
'...no. I had left by then. I was so young and stupid... I was alone, angry, only 22 years old, and I'd left to find Ysgramor. To kill him.'  
Another drop of blood rolled down my cheek. I shook my head in disgust. 'I was so stupid. And sheltered. It couldn't have ended any other way.'  
'What do you mean?' He whispered. 'The vampire who caught me knew who I was.' I looked down, Trying to keep my emotions together. 'He was a Nord; He addressed my by name, asked me about my sister. I tried to fight him, but I had no chance. I spent the next two centuries in Haemar's Shame, a prisoner of a bizarre cult. It took that long before I found the rage and power I needed to destroy them all.'  
'...I'm sorry, Nysteris.' His voice was low and quiet. His hand reached out to touch me, but then he thought better of it. 'I wish it had been different.'  
I quickly looked up at him, blood streaked down my cheeks. 'Why are you still here, Teldryn? You've seen what I am. I''m a monster.'  
His face became serious as he looked at me. 'Only until dawn.' I stared at him in disbelief. 'Teldryn,' I said in astonishment, 'Do you think I'll be different after the ritual in the morning?'  
He remained silent, his arms folded across his chest. His stare penetrated me.  
'The thing that makes me a monster isn't my vampirism.' I lowered my voice. 'It's my soul.'  
His eyes widened slightly as he observed me; Still he remained silent.  
'I have the blood and soul of a dragon,' I said to him. 'It is in my nature to destroy, to dominate, to kill. That's what a dragonborn is; A dragon's soul trapped in the shell of a mortal body.'

I slouched in my chair, exhausted, my black hair falling down to cover my face from his gaze.

I heard him reach over and take my flagon from the table.

'No more ale for you,' He said matter-of-factly. 'It makes you depressed.' 


	17. Chapter 18: Romance

'What a lovely sight it must have been,' I murmured to her softly as I slowly ran my hand down her glossy black hair. 'Two identical beauties; Hair of silver and ebony, eyes of gold and sapphire...' I leaned in to gently bite her ear.  
'Teldryn,' she said quietly, moving her head away from me, a faint blush blooming on her white cheeks and a small frown on her lips.

'Forgive me,' I said, leaning away from her, my hand still on the small of her back as we sat on the bed in the tavern room. I smiled. 'I am only male.' I gently slid my hand a little lower down her back. 'And I haven't been able to concentrate since our last camping trip.'

We had eight hours until dawn; I was intent upon coaxing her into recieving me again.

Our last intimate encounter was by the lake at her manor in Falkreath; It had ended abruptly, with Nysteris suddenly breaking the kiss she had so pleasantly pressed upon me and walking naked back to the manor, leaving me in a state of confused and fervent arousal. Perhaps she had been teasing me; maybe she was teaching me a hard lesson about the consequences of stealing wine and harrassing her steward.  
Either way, it only served to fuel the fire. My mind kept drifting back to the night I'd spent with her in my arms by the frozen lake in the wilderness. Learning about her predatory nature and watching her destroy a dragon had done absolutely nothing to dim my desire.

'Come now, sera,' I murmured in her ear with a low voice, My hand moving up to her shoulder and pulling her gently to me. My other hand travelled up and under her hair, gently cradling her head. 'Did you not plead for me on that beautiful night when we laid together in the snow? The night when I...'  
I heard her breath hitch and felt her become limp; Her telltale signs had given her away. I was about to lean in to taste her mouth, to pin her down, when she gently pulled away from me.  
I released her shoulder and frowned. Maybe last time, I'd...  
'Sera,' I said to her softly. 'Did I hurt you?' She looked up at me, the giveaway blush still pink on her cheeks. 'I saw the blood...' I was becoming slightly ashamed of myself.  
She was quiet for a short while, occasionally squirming in her seat. An awkward smile broke on her lips.  
'I was... untouched when that vampire took my life.' She looked away, embarrassed. 'I recover my... "Innocence"... each time I... A vampire will heal after each wound to restore them to the state they were in at the hour they were first turned. It's a fact that has been exploited by wicked, depraved necromancers for centuries.' She gently patted her flank where the dragon had torn her open. 'No scars, no damage.'  
'What?' I gently laughed, not believing what I'd just heard. 'You're joking.' 'No.' Her tone was firm. Her embarrassment was making her defensive. I needed to be careful. I knew what she was capable of and that I was risking a lot by pressing the issue, but I found something so indescribably wonderful about what she had told me, her shyness, her apparent innocence. It was almost exciting.  
'So I did hurt you.' I reached up to touch her face again. 'Please, forgive me. I didn't know.'  
She pushed me away, scoffing audibly. 'It always hurts. Don't get sentimental. You aren't the first.' 'You could have fooled me.' I smiled at her and raised an eyebrow. She put her head down and laughed, still blushing.  
'You're a disgrace.'  
'I know. I can't help it.' I laid back on the bed, my hands resting behind my head. I paused for a long time, carefully considering whether I should really say what I was about to say. I wriggled my foot in mild nervousness.  
'You know,' I said in a low tone, 'You'll no longer be a vampire tomorrow.'  
'You've got some nerve.'  
I ignored her and kept going, even though she already knew what I was going to say. 'So... In theory... If your innocence were lost tonight... You'd have it back again in the morning.' I paused. 'To keep.' I knew I was digging a hole, but I kept going. No turning back now. 'To give to your husband when you get married to a nice Altmer man and have strange little white Mer children.'

'Altmer!' She laughed. I watched her fangs as she did so. 'Why on earth...'  
'Well, I can't imagine you'd settle for an ill-mannered Dunmer.'  
'I can't imagine I'd settle for anybody.' She looked at me, turning her head sideways, her pale blue-green eyes shimmering with mischief. 'Did you just offer me your hand in marriage, Teldryn?'  
'Is that what I did?' I laughed. 'Can you imagine it? What an odd couple. Ugly children too. Pale grey with purple eyes, probably.'  
She laughed loudly, throwing her head back. I smiled and reached out to stroke her hair.

'You're beginning to grow on me.' Her voice was quiet and calm.

I was shocked for a moment; I stopped stroking her as the surprise sunk into me and I stared at her, wide eyed and lost for words.

Slowly, she turned around and leaned over to touch my face, her large almond eyes looking into mine; Then, as gently as any soul ever had, she brought her lips to meet my own. A rush of warmth flooded through my body, sweeping up from my toes all the way to my fingertips and exploding in my head. I inhaled deeply at the touch of her lips, feeling so strange; I had felt like this before, but not with her. I had never felt this before with her. I allowed the strange euphoria to flow through me as my mind seemed to float away; All too soon, she withdrew, looking down at me with the faintest smile upon her serene face.

I couldn't think of anything to say; I just stared at her dumbly.

'Get some sleep,' She said softly. 'I'm certain we will meet the Dawnguard in the swamp tomorrow.'  



	18. Chapter 19: Dawnguard

'Wait here.' The bright pinholes of light where my eyes were bore into him from beneath my Nightingale hood. I reached up to grasp the ebony bow on my back as I spoke.  
'You're going ahead without me? There must be ten of them.' He whispered, frowning. 'I was looking forward to meeting the Dawnguard. Eh. Suit yourself.'

I dropped into a crouched stance, bow in hand and dagger at my side. The twilight framed Teldryn's silhouette against the gnarled vegetation of the swamp. 'You'll know when to come,' I whispered, turning my head toward the faint glow of a torch in the distance. 'Listen for the screams.'

'Oooh. You're terrifying.'

'Be quiet.' He watched as I crept away into the darkness, not even the twigs breaking beneath my feet to make a noise.

I could hear them as I approached the place where they were congregated; It was amazing to me how careless they were. Talking at volume, torches lit in the dark. It was as if they didn't know me at all.

'No. It only had two fledglings; We killed them centuries ago. Filthy elven monsters, just like her.' The woman's voice rang clearly through the still air. 'It's a rogue. No brood or lair. Travels alone, mostly.'  
'Sssssh,' a male voice hissed. 'Are you stupid? Lower your voice.' I heard the whine of a dog. 'It's a stealth killer. It could be watching us right now.'

The dogs; The dogs would be a problem. The Dawnguard were stupid; They always had been. Simple-minded men and women motivated by bloodlust and vengeance. Their only redeeming features were their dedication and persistence.  
But the dogs could give me away. They had to be taken out first.

I drew the heavy bow and aimed the ebony arrow carefully at the war dog's head as I crept forward. Such a shame. But...  
I released the arrow and was already nocking another before the dog was struck, turning my aim toward its partner. I watched it stiffen as it toppled over, the arrowhead buried deep between its eyes; Just as the other dog pricked its ears and turned to face my direction, the second arrow found its target, and the creature yelped slightly as it was impaled through the neck, falling to the ground and becoming still.

I quickly rolled away from my position, sneaking rapidly away from my former spot to reach the other side of the clearing as one of the heavily armoured Dawnguard troops suddenly noticed the corpses of the dogs. Before he alerted the others, he jogged up to the bodies to look at them; Right within range of me, as I quietly unsheathed my dagger and approached him from behind.

As I grabbed him by the neck, and dragged the ebony blade across his throat, I began to focus my strength within me as I cast my voice afar, focused on a tree near the opposite side of the clearing, and released the whisper:  
'Zul... Mey Gut.'  
The shout bounced and reflected from the tree trunk, resonating softly through the air as I released the man in my arms and he slumped at my feet, blood gushing to cover my boots and legs.

'What was that?'

The brutish woman who had been running her mouth too loudly earlier suddenly brandished her sword and dropped into a fighting stance, staring into the darkness where I had thrown my voice. 'It's here!' The others suddenly sprung into action, all eight of them drawing their weapons and running toward the trees, clustered together. Curses barked from their lips as I smiled, feeling the rush of adrenaline flow to my head, and I began to summon an Ice Storm.

As the swirling storm rapidly approached the frenzied Dawnguard, I saw a fiery glow approaching from the distance to my left; A figure cloaked in flame. I drew my bow and aimed my arrow at its head; It was then that I realised what it was: Teldryn's flame atronach, gliding silently through the swamp, the thin trail of flame behind it lighting the way for him to find me.  
I smiled as I saw him approaching, his masked face turning to watch as the Ice Storm reached the hunting party.

Screams echoed through the air as razor sharp slivers of ice tore into warm human flesh. Panic ensued as bodies hit the ground. Desperate cries reached my ears and I laughed quietly, feeling the bloodlust rise in my chest as I readied my bow again, aiming for the heart of the first man unlucky enough to catch my focus.  
The flame atronach threw its arm forward as it hurled a firebolt into the chaos, slowly floating forward as it did so. Teldryn followed it with one of his own before rushing forward with his sword drawn, rising to the challenge of a heavily armoured troop, warhammer raised above his head, roaring at the top of his lungs.  
'Die, you wretch!' The man bellowed as Teldryn deftly dodged the heavy blow, slashing his blade down diagonally across the man's back before brutally kicking him over onto the ground.  
'You filthy N'wah,' He hissed. I could hear the vicious snarl on his face underneath his chitin helmet. 'Get up.'

I was almost too distracted by the sight of Teldryn in the throes of battle; I realised my bow had lowered itself and I was wearing a savage grin underneath my hood. And the warm rush that travelled up my legs was exquisite.

I was snapped out of my voyeuristic trance by the whoosh of a blade slicing through the air only an inch away from me as I leaped backward.  
'You!' The Nord woman screamed as she lunged at me, her eyes wild with manic zeal and her face streaked with the blood of her fallen brothers. 'I'll rip you apart, you monster! Vampire!'  
I heard myself laugh wickedly as I dropped the bow on the ground and drew the ebony dagger, leaping backward again as she swung the greatsword at my neck.  
'Is that so, you feeble Dawnguard bitch?' I hissed the words through clenched teeth and an evil smile as I twisted around her, ducking underneath her blade so that I was facing her back. I slashed the dagger at the leather straps holding up the heavy armour on her shoulders. 'I've been ripping your brothers and sisters apart since before you were born.' Her chestplate fell to the ground, revealing the cloth tunic underneath. I laughed again and beckoned to her as she stood there in momentary shock.  
She screamed again as she raised her sword and lunged at me, blinded with rage. I sidestepped and snatched her by the hair, the dark blonde strands wrapped around my white fingers.  
'You need practice,' I hissed into her ear as I forced her onto the ground in front of me. She growled in rage as I pressed my knee into her chest.  
'You will know pain before the end,' she snarled. 'Your kind will be wiped from our lands!'  
'Yes, people keep telling me that.' I pulled my hood from my face, tossing it onto the ground next to me. I watched her eyes widen as she saw my bared teeth. 'Your pathetic Isran was choking on those words when I bled him.'  
I raised my palm high, then brought it down hard onto the woman's bicep. She cried out as the bone loudly snapped; I snarled wickedly as I did the same to the other.  
'You have a very special honour on this day, you dog.' I leaned in close to her neck, savouring the sound of her sobs as I breathed onto her skin. I unravelled my hand from her hair and gently stroked her face, the cold of my hand making her recoil.  
'There will be one less vampire in your lands before the sun rises.' I whispered into her ear. 'But the last taste of human blood to cross my lips - The one I'll bear with me forever - Will be from you.'  
She screamed and choked as I drove my teeth hard into her neck, severing the artery before releasing slightly so that the blood could flow. My hand absently travelled down to stroke her chest as I swallowed, feeling the beat of her heart slowly dim and sputter out; I forced my tongue into the ragged holes I had made with my teeth as I sucked on her, extracting every last drop, before I slowly released my jaws and sat up, panting and flooded with the hot afterglow of sated lust.

'Oh, Nysteris.' A familiar growl and a tutting sound came from behind me.

Teldryn was standing nearby, his armour bloody and his sword sheathed. His arms were folded across his chest; As I quickly looked behind him, I saw that there were no more Dawnguard; Only the bodies of the fallen. 'You shouldn't play with your food.' He shook his head gently, reaching up to remove his helmet.  
His red eyes stared into mine as he spoke; Suddenly I found myself fighting an urge to jump on him and remove all of his armour.  
'Look at your face. Covered with blood. Messy girl.' He grinned down at me. I felt a slight blush appear on my face.  
'Lets's get you cleaned up. Falion will run for the hills if he walks in on this.'

He reached out for my hand. I smiled at him, bloody faced, as he helped me up. 


	19. Chapter 20: Cure

'I call upon Oblivion Realms, the home of those who are not our ancestors. Answer my plea!'

I saw her clench her jaw and fists as Falion performed the ritual, his palms raised toward the heavens. Her eyes bore into him; Her long black hair blew gently across her face as she stood there in the dim light of dawn, bracing herself for the change to come.

'As in death there is new life, in Oblivion there is a beginning for that which has ended. I call forth that power! Accept the soul that we offer! As the sun ends the night, end the darkness of this soul...'

She staggered; I rushed to catch her as she became limp and fell backward, her eyes closed, her dagger dropping to the ground. She fell softly into my arms, and I carefully lowered her against my chest as I kneeled onto the cold stone next to her.

My mind raced. She was unconscious now. I didn't know when she was going to wake up, or if she ever would; I frantically wondered if the monster I had witnessed only an hour earlier, breaking bones and tearing flesh with its fangs, would be gone. And if it were, what would take its place.  
I had done my best to hide my horror upon seeing her delighting in the torture of her last victim. The glow in her eyes, the evil, manic smile on her face, the blood smeared across her chin and cheeks as she looked up at me.  
Although I was beginning to come to terms with the idea that my fondness for her may be growing into something stronger, she continued to display her ruthless aptitude and willingness to employ cruelty in increasingly brutal displays. Marcurio's plight had been a sobering experience; watching her delight in the fear and pain of the Nordic Dawnguard woman was jarring. I tried to blame her vampirism; to justify her actions by reasoning with myself that she had been a vampire for so long, that she had forgotten the virtues of mercy and compassion. Her actions toward me had been benevolent, but I had not yet crossed her.  
Despite my internal angst, as I looked at her lying in my arms, all I could remember was her smile, her laugh, her quiet strength; The smooth coolness of her skin, the smell of her hair, the taste of her lips.

And then I realised what it was that I was feeling: Fear.

It was fear that she would never wake up; Fear that she would wake up unchanged, or changed entirely. Fear that once her curse was broken, she would dismiss me, and all of the time we had spent with eachother, the sweet excitement of anticipation I always carried with me when we were alone; All of it would end. It would be for nothing.

She hadn't told me what she intended to do once she'd been cured.

I was afraid of losing her.

'...Return to life the creature you see before you.'

It was over.

Falion lowered his arms; He observed her for a moment, then turned to make his way back to Morthal.

I panicked for a moment, repeatedly switching my gaze from him to Nysteris, unsure of what to do. It was a feeling I rarely experienced; I didn't like it.  
'You! wait!' I barked at him; He merely ignored me and continued his trek toward the settlement.

I looked down at her, her head resting on my bicep, her hair cascading over my arm. She was so still; Like a corpse. No breath came from her lips. No warmth from her skin.  
'Nysteris,' I said in a quiet, pleading tone, gently shaking her as I spoke. 'Come back to me.' I put my finger to her neck to feel for her pulse; Nothing.  
The panic swelled within me again. I went to stand up, to carry her to Morthal, when I heard a sudden intake of breath. I stopped, unable to draw breath of my own, as I quickly looked down into her face.  
The palest pink flush suddenly rushed up from her neck and spread across her skin; Not the pink of a shy blush, but the beautiful, natural flourish of life; I watched in awe as it bloomed on her blue lips, travelling all the way to the points of her ears and the parting of her hair. As her lips parted as she gasped, I saw that her killing teeth were gone. Only the dull points of mortal canines remained.  
'Oh, praise the tribunal.' I dropped onto my knees with her in my arms, the feeling of relief washing over me like a great wave as I looked down at her. A faint smile spread across my face; I cradled her head as I murmured softly to her.  
'Wake up, sera,' I whispered, the relief turning into a kind of excitement. 'It's over; You're still here.'

I saw her eyelids flutter; My chest tightened as she slowly began to open her eyes.  
She squinted at first, then released a quiet groan; I shook her again gently, the smile growing ever wider on my lips. 'Come on, you lazy fetcher.'  
She opened her eyes wide and looked up at me. 'Teldryn,' she whispered. A hint of uncertainty laced her voice. 'Did you...'

The sight of her eyes caught me completely unprepared. They were no longer a pale green, but the most beautiful, vivid blue. I found myself staring into them as I spoke to her.  
'Yes, I'm Teldryn,' I said with a hint of sarcasm, 'And before you ask, yes, I did just call you a fetcher.'

'Did it work?' she breathed urgently. She sat up in my lap, stretching out her hands to examine her fingers. 'I feel so... strange.'  
'Yes,' I said, still quietly captivated by her appearance. 'You look very much alive.'  
Her fingers flew up to her mouth, feeling for her teeth. I saw a smile slowly spread across her pale, rose-pink lips.  
'I never thought it would happen. I never thought...' She suddenly looked up. 'Where is Falion?'  
'He left.' I was beginning to pull myself together again. 'The second he finished the ritual. Quite rude, really. I thought he'd killed you.'

She suddenly threw her arms around my neck and kissed me; Her lips were warm now. And soft. I gasped slightly as the gesture took me unawares; an embarrassing flare of desire burned intensely in my chest. I stared at her in surprise as she pulled away and gave me a wicked grin, her blue eyes shimmering in the pale light of dawn.

'Come back to the tavern,' She said, grabbing my hand and pulling me up with her as she stood.  
'What for?' I smiled through my confusion. 'You can't possibly want to get drunk at this time of day.'

She laughed quietly and led the way; I was only too happy to follow her. 


	20. Chapter 21: Only Once

'Oh, Azura.' Teldryn laughed loudly as he spoke. 'That is just disgusting.' He shook his head slowly as he smiled broadly and watched me shove the rest of the creme treat into my mouth, reaching to grab a long rope of taffy. 'I've never seen a woman eat like that before. bringing you back to life hasn't changed your messy dining habits.' He reached for his bottle of alto wine. 'You'll make yourself sick if you keep it up.'  
'It's amazing,' I gushed, my mouth full as I spoke. 'It tastes so different. Everything is different now.' I swallowed the mouthful and bit into the taffy, my eyes lighting up as the sweetness of it rippled across my tongue. 'Mmm. Oh, it's amazing...'

'I can see that,' he smiled, reaching out to break a piece from the end of the rope and popping it into his mouth. He raised his eyebrows as he chewed on it with his mouth open. 'If only everyone were as happy as Nysteris with a bit of taffy.'

A wide smile spread across my face as I stared at him. Everything seemed so vibrant now, so vivid; It seemed as though I had been walking through the world with a veil across my eyes, and suddenly, it had been pulled away. The world had been revealed to me in the light after hiding in hundreds of years of darkness. Living air filled my lungs and cooled my warm skin. The terrible hunger had been washed away, like so much dust from the surface of a gleaming gem; I was alive again.  
'I wish you could feel this,' I said, my mouth full of taffy. 'It's indescribable.'  
'I can only imagine.' He raised the alto wine up to his lips, his eyes still fixed upon me. 'Watching the life flow back into you was a sight to behold.' He paused to drink, then continued. 'I'm still trying to get used to your new eyes.'

'What do you mean?' I asked, a little puzzled by what he had said. He smiled warmly at me.  
'They are blue now.'  
A rush of joy flourished within me. For the first time in countless years, I felt whole; Restored. At last, I was complete and uncorrupted.  
In my elation, I stood up from the table and took Teldryn my the wrist, eagerly guiding him to the bed. I placed a hand on his neck and leaned in to kiss his mouth as I sat down; To my surprise, he gently moved his head away, taking my hand from his neck and gently placing it back onto the bed.  
'Sera,' he said politely, 'We need to talk business.'  
I frowned, feeling instantly deflated. I was unaccustomed to being declined; especially in favour of talking business. A mild sense of irritation took over as I looked at him sitting there, cool and mildly detached.  
'I paid you two days ago.' I spoke bluntly. 'I feel that your compensation is more than adequate.'  
'I have no issue with matters of money. You are an unquestionably generous employer.' He stared straight into my eyes, slowly crossing his arms as he spoke. 'I need to know what you plan to do from here. What's our next move?'

I quickly cast my eyes down. His question was one that had been playing on my mind for some time; I was all too aware that there were many people who were awaiting my return so that I might begin the task I had been destined to complete: The defeat of Alduin. Arngeir and the Greybeards in High Hrothgar; Delphine and Esbern in Skyhaven Temple; Paarthurnax waiting at the The Throat Of The World.  
Even as I sat here in this tavern in Morthal, Jarl Balgruuf was waiting at Dragonsreach, his guards at the ready. The great chains and pulleys of the yoke that would trap the dragon I would call - Odahviing- were oiled and braced. Everything was prepared, and suspended, waiting only for my word.

'I never intended to bring you this far.' My own voice seemed almost alien to me; The words I uttered felt as if they were not my own. I stared at the floor as I spoke, my mind far away from where I was. 'I'd always imagined that I would be alone when the time came.'  
'The time for what?' His eyes remained fixed on me, a serious expression cast upon his face.  
'You know what.'  
'You need to tell me.' His voice was a quiet, low purr. I was feeling no malice or impatience from him; only a sense of uncertainty. He could feel the change that was happening just as well as I could; The familiar bond that was slowly entwining us together, the knowledge that however small, we had made an investment in each other that had transcended the contract of mercenary and master.

It was a terrifying thing, to know that everything hung in the balance. To suddenly be aware that I had unknowingly allowed myself to find another reason to succeed. To know that I was mortal now; my hourglass had begun to release its sands, and all of the beauty that true life promised was laid out before me; and its price - mortality - could be paid before I ever had a chance to taste its sweetness.

'Alduin.' I almost whispered the name. 'The time has come...'  
'You mean that his time has come.' He smiled faintly as he corrected me.  
'I may never return.' I looked up at him. 'Destiny only determines what may come to pass. Not what will. I could die... In vain.'

'Who told you that?'

A vision of Paarthurnax appeared in my mind, then vanished; I sighed and looked down. 'It doesn't matter.'

He was quiet for the longest time; In my melancholy, I couldn't tell whether he was being respectful or wary. Perhaps he was as lost in his thoughts as I was.

'Is there still a place for me at your side, sera?'

I was surprised by the gentleness of his tone, and his choice of words; I reached out slowly to touch his hand with my fingertips as I tried to find the right words, but found that I could not.

'...Yes.'

He slowly wrapped his dark fingers around my own and gently pulled me towards him, kissing me so gently that I felt all of the anguish melt away; The feeling which replaced it was unfamiliar to me. A longing, an exruciatingly gentle union of joy and weakness. It burned brightly in my chest as his lips moved against mine and he ran his hand down my hair and back.

What was this? Lust? No... No. It was something else.

I broke the kiss and ever so gently touched my forehead to his, my eyes closed as I tried to contain the strange new sensation I was experiencing. It was so beautiful; But it made me feel so weak.

'So we'll go together.' He gave me a gentle kiss on the tip of the nose.

I allowed my strange new condition to lead me as I gently pushed him down onto his back on the bed, cradling his face with my hands as I settled on top of him and kissed him deeply, touching his lips with the tip of my tongue. I heard him sigh as his his arms began to wrap around me. I gently pressed my thigh between his legs, and he held me tighter, one of his hands softly tracing down the length of my back.

'Wait, sera,' he murmured, breaking the kiss and slowly sitting up.

I was confused; My eyes desperately searched his face, my cheeks flushed and my breath shallow. There was no doubt that his desire was the same as mine; His eyes were burning with lust, even as he slowly pulled away from me.

'Wait?' I said between breaths. 'What for?'

He smiled gently and raised his hand to brush the stray strands of hair from my face, his eyes falling to my lips. 'Don't you remember? You're a living woman now.' His voice was low and quiet; I stared at him in silence as he continued.  
'Things have changed. Aside from being able to bear children now,' he said ever so gently as he gazed into my face, 'You can only ever give your chastity away to one man. You will never be able to give it again. You won't heal any more.' He looked into my eyes, his voice dropping almost to a whisper. 'That is a privilege that you should save for the one who holds your heart. You are too... extraordinary to waste such a thing... that honour... on a hired mercenary. I couldn't do it to you.'

My heart ached; I had never thought Teldryn capable of such tenderness. Although I struggled to relate to his view, since my chastity was a mere technicality, his words had suddenly made clear to me what the emotion was that I had been struggling with earlier: That strange, mortal, euphoric weakness that had overwhelmed me.

'But you do hold my heart.'

I looked at him as his eyes became wide and his jaw dropped ever so slightly; It was the first time I had ever seen him speechless.

I slowly leaned in to push him back down onto the bed and taste him again. 


	21. Chapter 22: Journey

'You can take Shadowmere. I'll take Arvak.'

I stared in stunned silence at the huge black horse that was standing before me outside of the tavern. A black hand was tattooed onto its flank; Its blazing red eyes glowed in the night as it stared at me balefully, slowly lowering its nose into Nysteris' hand. She smiled at it and stroked its mane.

'That? That's your horse?' I glared at her as she stroked it. 'Where did it come from? The Void?'

'Be nice.' She stood on tiptoe and kissed it between the eyes. It snorted quietly and flicked its tail, its eye still fixed upon me. 'He's from The Brotherhood.'

'Of course he is.' I shook my head in disbelief. Every time I began to feel as if we were close, she presented me with a new reminder of what she was and how little I ultimately knew about her. 'Don't you think that it will draw a bit too much attention? Whatever happened to stealth and silence?'  
She scoffed quietly. 'You should see Arvak,' she murmured as she began to load the horse, swinging her bag up and onto its back. 'Besides, I think you two suit eachother. Matching eyes and hair.' She smiled at me sarcastically. 'And he'll compliment your armour very nicely.'

I folded my arms across the chestplate of the ebony mail she'd told me to wear. I had to admit that I was very impressed with it; Despite its heaviness, the fit was almost perfect. Perhaps I should have listened to her when she'd tried to fit me with it in the beginning.  
'You really want to take this thing to Whiterun? And have a dark elf riding it while wearing Boethiah's armour? They'll think the apocalypse has come. Gods forbid we should happen to run across the Vigil of Stendarr on the way.'

She smiled, pulling the Nightingale hood over her head to cover her face. 'You're travelling by night,' She said bluntly, 'On your way to Dragonsreach, to destroy Alduin the World Eater with the Dragonborn.' She patted the horse lightly on the neck. 'I can't think of any better circumstance to make a grand entrance. Can you?'

She had a point. I sighed and sauntered over to her and the demon steed, reluctantly reaching up to stroke its saddle. It wasn't that I was averse to a bit of showmanship; I just didn't like the idea of sending the locals into a panic and being set upon by the city guard.

'You do know how to ride, don't you?'

I scoffed. 'Don't be ridiculous. Of course I do.' I lifted my foot into the stirrup and hoisted myself into the saddle, looking down at her masked face as I wriggled to settle into the leather. 'Mostly Silt Striders though. Much less challenging.' I smirked. 'Is it everything you dreamed it would be? Your dashing Dunmer hero in enchanted armour, riding into danger on a dark horse?' I flashed her a charming smile.  
She laughed quietly, raising her left hand as a deep purple glow began to engulf it and a low hum reached my ears. 'So you've decided to start with the teasing already. I knew I never should have told you.'

'Where's your mount? I'm not riding if you're going by foot.'  
I'd barely finished my sentence when she raised her hand higher and splayed her fingers; The familiar sound of an opening portal pulsed through the air as the vortex opened in a swirling mass of dark blue light, and an abomination of the likes of which I had never seen stepped forth from it.

'Gah!' I recoiled at the sight as Shadowmere began to toss his mane. A soft whinny uttered from him as the skeletal frame of the horse, engulfed in magical flame, slowly stepped forward from the tear in reality from which it had been summoned and came to rest next to Nysteris. She lowered her hand slowly and reached out to touch its skull; It pushed its nose into her hand and stood there patiently, seemingly apathetic toward my presence.  
'Good Gods!' I stared at it in disbelief. 'What in the name of Dagon is that?'

'Arvak,' she said calmly. I could tell she was amused by my reaction; She continued to bond with the animated skeleton as she spoke, stroking the glowing bones around its empty orbits. 'My companion from the Soul Cairn.'  
'The what?' I continued to stare at the creature in disbelief as it flicked the vertebrae of its tail, the magical purple fire covering it behaving in the same way as its long hair would have when it was alive.  
'I don't like to make him carry too much,' she said casually, nimbly jumping up onto its backbone and ribcage. 'He's better suited to quick travelling.' She reached up behind her back to grip her bow.  
The sight of her mounted on Arvak, with her full nightingale armour on and ebony bow in hand, was a fearsome thing to behold. My mind struggled with the two sides of her I had come to know; The shy, tormented, sweet-faced beauty I had seen during her private moments, and the dark, fathomless, ruthless killer fuelled by bloodlust that she was when her calling embraced her.

When she had fallen asleep in my arms last night, still virginal and whole with her face resting next to my neck and her hand on my chest, I had marvelled that such a creature as her could have given her heart to one such as me; It was as if The Tribunal had smiled upon me, granting me a gift of such profound magnitude that I was at a loss as to what to do with it. Her frustration at my refusal to take her had quickly passed and was replaced with a serene and exquisite euphoria, an unspoken peace and synchrony.  
It had taken every fibre of my self control to restrain myself from ravaging her. Even now, as I beheld her astride her terrible horse as she braced for war, it was still at the forefront of my mind.  
But I was still unsure; The bliss that she had been swept up by upon the return of her life may have intoxicated her. All of the new sensations she had gushed about... The taste of food, the smell of the air, even the colours of objects. Perhaps the platonic affection she no doubt bore for me had been unjustly amplified.  
All of me wished that it were not so; I still had not revealed to her that she held my heart in the same way that she had told me that I held hers. My body ached to embrace her again, to feel her skin against mine, to hear her pleading sighs, to be engulfed by her heat.

But the thought of spoiling her for the one she deserved - The idea that I could now unwittingly plant my seed within her - was not worth it.  
It was torture. Especially when she was so eager to recieve me.

'Hey, wake up.' She reached down to pat Arvak's bones as he began to rear. 'It's time.'  
She gave a short, sharp command to Arvak as he began to canter away into the darkness, his glow lighting up the trees around him and Nysteris as they swept through the night; She was a vision of death itself.

I sighed loudly, straightening up as I lightly kicked Shadowmere, turning the reins to point in the direction they had gone in. 'Riss,' I said to him sharply. He dutifully broke into a canter and then a moderate trot, following the guiding light of Arvak.

Tomorrow night might be the last time I ever saw her; A decision needed to be made when we reached Breezehome. 


	22. Chapter 23: Thin Ice

The sun was beginning to break over the tops of the distant mountains as we galloped into Whiterun. We could see the torchfires of the city guard begin to group together as they watched us approach from the distance.

The thundering of hooves gradually slowed as we came to the city gates. Shadowmere snorted and tossed his mane as Teldryn tightened the reins; I dismounted Arvak as I waited for the envoy of guards to reach us, their weapons drawn as they approached cautiously.

'Wonderful,' Teldryn murmured dryly as he watched the armed men jogging toward us. His hand went down to rest on the hilt of his elven sword as he squinted at them, still astride his mount. 'Please tell me that you know these people and that they're expecting us.'

'They've never seen my face,' I said calmly as Arvak slowly came up to stand beside me, his mane glowing in the dim dawnlight. I rested a hand on his bony neck. 'But they know me. They know why we are here.' I placed my bow onto my back and let my arms fall to my sides as the leader of the guard approached.  
'Stop,' He barked, his men falling behind him as he cautiously walked toward us, sword and shield at the ready. His head quickly turned to stare in shock at Arvak, then to Teldryn and Shadowmere.  
Teldryn did not dismount. His face was cold and unreadable as his red eyes glared down at the man from atop Shadowmere, his hand still firmly gripping the hilt of his blade; The cold air gently ruffled his black mohawk, but he was as still as a statue.  
I smiled at the sight of it.

The air became tense.

'It's the Dragonborn!' A guard from the back of the group spoke up.  
The head guardsman looked at me for a moment before his expression changed to one of familiarity. 'Dragonborn,' He said politely, sheathing his sword. He turned his head quickly to address his men. 'At ease.' His eyes quickly widened as they fixed upon Arvak as he spoke. 'Forgive me, Thane. I didn't know it was you...'  
'Send word to Jarl Balgruuf,' I said in a firm tone. 'We begin as planned tomorrow night. Tell Irileth to ready the trap.' I stepped toward the guards as I spoke, gesturing toward Teldryn.  
'This is Teldryn Sero. My right hand. You will afford him the same respect you would grant to me while we are in the city.'

I saw Teldryn smile smugly and finally begin to dismount as the guard nodded politely. 'Of course, Thane. Should we... stable the... er...'  
'The horses can care for themselves.'

'You never mentioned that you were a Thane.' Teldryn stode confidently through the gates of the city at my right hand side, my shoulder brushing his bicep as he drank in all the sights of Whiterun. 'No wonder you wanted a grand entrance.'  
'It's an honourary title.' I quickly cast my eyes around the streets as we entered. 'The people here are frightened and expecting the worst. The Jarl tries to reassure them, but the idea of luring a dragon into their city on purpose... They need to see that we are strong.'  
I felt a wave of dread wash over me. The more I thought about what I was going to do, the more hesitant I became. It wasn't the thought of facing Odahviing in combat that perturbed me; It was the unknown consequences of the action. Who was I to boldly claim that I could capture him? How could I justify the tragedy that would occur if I failed? The destruction of Dragonsreach... the bodycount. I had no more experience with capturing dragons than any other soul in Tamriel. Destroying one was a vast remove from imprisoning it in chains.

Suddenly I heard Teldryn stop; He sped up a little to catch up with me as I kept walking, eyes forward. He lowered his head to my ear ever so slightly, his voice a low, almost threatening rumble.  
'I sincerely hope that I misheard you just now.'  
I was startled by the realisation that I had somehow neglected to explain to him exactly what it was that I was intending to do here. All that he knew was that I was on my way to destroy Alduin. I had given him no reason to believe that I would be battling dragons in the middle of the city; He only knew that we had needed to visit Dragonsreach first.  
I felt his hand discreetly grip my arm with surprising pressure. 'You have some explaining to do, sera. This instant.'

A wave of fear rippled through me at the sound of his low growl. Although he continued to keep pace with me, his fingers locked around my bicep like iron bands. I suddenly became acutely aware of his size and height as his heavy footsteps fell next to my own.  
My eyes quickly darted around me; People were emerging from their homes to see the return of the Dragonborn. Children came running through the streets, looks of excitement and wonder on their faces.  
I saw Jenassa waiting, hidden in a shadow next to the drunken huntsman, her arms folded and a dagger in her hand as her gaze bore into Teldryn. I briefly caught her gaze as I stopped walking. She gave a small, almost indetectable nod, slowly pushing herself away from the wall she was leaning on.

A rush of anger flooded through me as I stood in the street, Teldryn still grasping my arm. I took a sharp breath inward as I tried to suppress my rage.

'Unhand me.'

I felt the ice spell quickly ripple across the surface of my skin, the frigid cold radiating out from my belly until it reached my arms, and Teldryn's hand.

His grip tightened as the burning cold reached his fingers; I heard a soft poof as a heavy, dark mist suddenly began to engulf us, emanating from the ebony mail he wore and triggered by his anger.

Small gasps of surprise came from the gathering crowd. Jenassa took a step forward.

'Do not ignore me.' His voice rasped into my ear. 'You owe me an explanation. Look at these lives before you. I will not let them be destroyed so easily... No matter how much you pay me.'

Suddenly my rage subsided.

Although I was furious at his public display of insolence on our highly visible return to Whiterun, I suddenly understood his anger: He thought I was going to endanger and kill the innocent people who lived here by battling Alduin in their midst. He was not going to allow me to place them in harm's way.  
I gave the faintest smile underneath my hood; His nobility had shone through again, no matter how unwittingly wrong he was.

I felt the warmth return to my flesh as the spell dissipated; Breezehome was only a few strides away from where we had stopped.

'Not here.' I murmured, still facing forward. The suffocating poison mist quickly diffused as he relaxed his vice-like grip on my arm. 'Come with me. Into the house.' I sharply pulled myself out of his grasp as I went to unlock the door, feeling him tower over me as he followed behind.

The door creaked loudly as I roughly pushed it open, the crowd outside craning their necks to watch.

'Honoured to see you again, my Thane...'  
'Get out, Lydia.'

She stared at me in surprise, her mouth hanging open; I saw her eyes glance up at Teldryn and it promptly closed again.

'As you wish.' She quickly sidled past us and through the door, closing it gingerly behind her.

'Start talking.' Teldryn didn't move, his arms folded across his chest as his red eyes burned with anger.

'Watch your tongue, mercenary,' I hissed at him, gritting my teeth. 'I should tear strips from you after this. Do you think you can stand over me? I could crush you into the dust.'  
'What is your purpose in this place?' He snapped, his lips forming a snarl as he spoke. 'I don't care who you are or what you can do. You have the right to toss your own life away, but not the lives of innocents.' His eyes widened and his voice lowered. 'I may not be able to stop you,' he said angrily, 'But I will not stand idly by while you raze this city to the ground.'

I stared at him in astonishment. 'What?' I scoffed. 'You have no idea what you're talking about. Why would I want such a thing?'  
'Why indeed.' His gaze continued to penetrate me, fervent and unblinking. 'What could you possibly think would result from luring a dragon into a densely populated city? Was this your idea, you s'wit?'  
'You are treading on very thin ice.' I slowly stepped toward him, my face twisted with fury. 'You have no idea what you are dealing with.'

'So I've heard.' He didn't flinch. 'If I am so wrong, then please, by all means, enlighten me.'

I glared at him for a moment; A great sigh escaped my lips as I shed my vitriol.

I did owe him an explanation. It was understandable that he had reacted poorly given that he was under the impression that I expected him to agree to slaying a dragon in the middle of town.  
And although I would most likely never admit it to him, I was impressed that he had stood up to me based on what he had thought was going to happen, even though he knew he had little chance of prevailing. I was a little more enamoured.

I turned my back on him and slumped into a chair by the fireplace, releasing a great sigh as I did so.  
'You're right.' I pulled the hood from my face and pinched the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes. 'I'm sorry.'  
Slowly, he unfolded his arms and sauntered over to the chair next to me, sitting down and placing his arms on the rests. He remained silent, waiting for me to continue.  
'I should have explained to you.' I stared into the fire, lost in my thoughts and emotions.

'I'm waiting.' His voice was quiet and patient.  
I sighed as I began to speak.  
'Dragonsreach. We're going to Dragonsreach to lure one of Alduin's allies there so we can trap him. It's the only way I can find where Alduin has gone.'  
The hard expression dropped from his face as he listened. 'I see.' He frowned. 'How are you proposing to do that?'  
'Dragonsreach was built to house a captive dragon; Numinex. A long time ago.' I looked up at him. 'It's where it got its name.'  
He stared at me warily; He was beginning to make sense of it.  
'The yoke and trap used to capture Numinex is still there. I'm going to call to the dragon - Odahviing is his name - and capture him to learn where Alduin has gone.'  
He was silent for a long time; He gazed into the fire.  
'How do you know that this will work?'  
'I don't.'  
'Does the Jarl...'  
'Of course he agrees to it,' I snapped. 'Do you think I could trap an angry dragon on my own?'

'I'm sorry.' His expression softened as he looked at me, the expression on his face somewhere between affection and remorsefulness. 'I shouldn't have doubted you.'

I smiled at him wearily. 'I wouldn't lead you to your death.'  
'Good to know.' He smiled faintly to me. 'Because I'd follow you all the way.' 


	23. Chapter 24: Don't Be Gentle

'You own this too?'

I sat on the chair, shirtless, next to the firepit, looking around the house I was in. It was much more modest than Lakeview Manor, but comfortable and charming nonetheless.

'Yes.' She came down the stairs wearing a long, dark blue tavern dress, her black hair loose and cascading over her shoulders. Her feet were bare, and she carried two bottles of Sujamma in her hands; she smiled as she watched my surprise upon seeing it.

'How did you manage that?' I reached out for a bottle and raised my eyebrows as she sat down in the chair next to me, pulling out the cork with a loud pop. 'I'm a thane, remember?'

A sweet smile spread across her lips. 'The housecarl fetched it for me.' 'Most impressive... My Thane.' I smirked and raised the jar to my lips as she looked at me, that familiar spark in her eye that I had seen only the night before.

I knew what she wanted. I sighed gently and looked down into my drink, a familiar feeling stirring within me. I was still conflicted; Azura knows why. The more thought I dedicated to it, the closer I came to the conclusion that I was an idiot.

She had told me herself that she belonged to me. The odds of her becoming with child were incredibly low. I was torturing myself by continuously thinking about it.

Above all else, I was only too aware that by tomorrow night, she could be going to meet her death; and even if she survived, I may never see her again. We both knew it. I'd made my decision.

I was going have her. As many times as she would allow me to. All I was waiting for now was the slightest provocation from her.

'I've decided... That we'll spend today in Whiterun. I want us to forget why we're here. Just for today.' She looked up at me from her chair. 'I want to be... With you. Just to drink, walk... I don't care. As long as it's you and I... Unless... Unless you can think of anything you'd rather do in here.' She stretched her bare, white foot out to playfully kick my knee, a mischievous smile upon her face. Her voice wavered slightly with nervousness as she spoke; the fear of rejection was in her tone.

And there was my cue. I stared into her eyes for a moment before standing up and going to her, taking her by the hand to get her up out of her chair.

'Then you should get comfortable... Sera.'

I slowly leaned in to put my lips next to her ear, my other hand slowly sliding up the side of her neck. 'Because after we are done here,' I purred in a low, deep voice, grazing my teeth across her ear, 'Your legs will be of little use to you.'

Her knees instantly became weak at the words I spoke and an involuntary moan escaped from her lips as she closed her eyes. I smiled to myself as I gently kissed and nipped at her smooth, white neck; We had all day. And I was not going to let her out of the house, dragonborn or not.

I suddenly picked her up and carried her to the table, parting her legs and standing between them as I sat her on top of it. I placed my hands underneath her knees and pulled her toward me so that her dress rode up as her legs spread apart to get around my waist. I heard her gasp gently as her already wet panties touched against my rigidity through our clothing. I could smell her eagerness.

The scent of it was driving me wild; I needed to stay focused. Despite my excitement, I knew that this was a tender moment. I had to pace myself and proceed carefully; I had claimed a woman's chastity before. It was painful for them. I wasn't going to take her until she was begging for me and close to the brink.

'I never thought you were going to give in,' she whispered in a heavy breath, her hands running up my back as she kissed me hard, touching my lips with her tongue. I ran my hand slowly and firmly down over her hips and thigh, moving it back up again when I reached her knee and pulling her skirt up with it. 'You give me too much credit,' I murmured as I pressed my hardness against her again, an exquisite sigh uttering from her flushed lips. 'I've thought of nothing else since Morthal.' I tried to keep myself under control as I lifted her dress up and over her head, leaving her in nothing but her pants. Every part of me was aching to tear them off and bury myself deep within her; I exhaled slowly as I beheld her bare skin, her pale pink nipples stiff and pointed.

I hooked my fingers into the sides of her pants near her hips; she lifted herself up so that I could slowly slide them down her soft white legs, tossing them away with a sly smile as they came down over her ankles. 'Nothing would ever keep me from you for long... What man could resist you?' I murmured as my hand slid down from her neck to cradle her breast, my thumb grazing over its tip. 'I am unworthy.' I leaned in to kiss her as my hand slowly slid down past her belly, my fingertips stopping just before they reached her wetness.

She breathed in sharply, spreading her legs wider around my hips, inviting me to touch her. I smiled as a huge rush of heat and lust swelled up within me. My loins were aching and my arousal was straining against the fabric of my trousers. I gently took her hand and brought it around to my front, pressing it against my hardness as I roughly kissed her, my tongue touching hers as she released a long sigh, pushing her pelvis toward me. 'Look what you've done,' I rumbled in her ear, my breath becoming slightly more laboured.

Another rush of desire flared through me as her fingers gripped me through the fabric. Her fingers found the knot in my belt and quickly pulled it, and she touched me for the first time; I groaned softly as she carefully released me from my clothing and it fell to the floor around my ankles. I kicked it away as she pulled me towards her, and my length gently pushed against her hot wetness.

I almost lost control at that moment; I pulled against her slightly, breathing in slowly, preventing her from guiding me to enter her. 'I know what you're doing,' she whispered into my ear.

I had to close my eyes and exhale; keeping control of myself was becoming harder by the second. I hungrily kissed and bit her ear, the ache within me reaching almost fever pitch as she whispered the words into my ear: 'Do not be gentle with me. I've waited too long. Give me your-'

She inhaled sharply and let her head fall back and cried out as I slid a finger into her slick entrance, leaning over her to run the tip of my tongue up the length of her neck. She was unbelievably ready; although she was quite small - another finger would have torn her virgin skin - the heat and moisture I felt from her was what I had been yearning for. I quickly pulled out of her, smearing her readiness up and over her most sensitive part with my finger as I did so. 'As you wish, Sera...'

I growled the words into her ear, a wicked smile upon my face as I quickly took her hips in both hands and flipped her over, facing her downwards on the low table as I pulled her roughly toward me, running my hands down her back and gripping her buttocks hard as I positioned myself at her entrance. I was rabid with anticipation; I leaned forward over her back, my length touching her hot, wet inner lips, my hands on either side of her shoulders as I lowered my head to murmur to her, gently biting her shoulder.

'... Forgive me.'

I slowly but firmly began to push myself inside of her; I heard her whimper as I felt her break around me and I saw her fingers claw at the table underneath her. The heat of her sex was euphoric. I moaned softly as I continued to enter her; even though she was in mild pain, she bucked her hips upward, forcing the rest of me into her body until I had hit her limit. 'Oh.' she pleaded quietly, almost as if to herself '...Teldryn...'

I wasn't going to last much longer like this. The sound of my name on her lips as I entered her was maddening. I gently raked my nails down her lily white back and began giving hard, rhythmic thrusts, my excitement changing almost into a type of desperation. I felt her contract around me as I leaned down to her ear, still pushing into her. 'Louder, my dear,' I growled to her, clenching my teeth as I worked her body, wrapping her long black hair around my hand and pulling on it gently as I thrust again, harder, faster, feeling myself hit her internal limit again and again as she curved her back upward, my name uttering from her in a beautiful beg as I felt her walls begin to squeeze me.

'Ah... Unh...' I felt the great crest of my release begin to build as she clamped down around me and cried out, pushing back against me with all of her strength as her moment came and her rapid contractions began.

I could not hold out any longer. With one final thrust, I buried my length as deep within her as I could as the euphoric wave crashed around me and I released myself inside her body, everything around me transforming into a divine blur in that moment where we were bound together in our peak. I fell forward onto my hands, slowly kissing her back and neck as I panted to catch my breath.

She was mine; all of this beauty and ecstasy was mine. The afterglow slowly began to dawn as I gently withdrew from her, turning her around and embracing her, kissing her deeply so that out tongues met. 'I love you,' I murmured.

It shocked me. I hadn't meant to say it; my doped brain had let it slip out. I tensed for a second, looking down at Nysteris hesitantly. She only looked up into my eyes and smiled shyly; 'Don't go giving up on me,' she said softly. '...I'm not finished with you yet.'


	24. Chapter 25: Hungry

'Ah.. What a glorious sight.'  
I opened my eyes and slowly sat up as Teldryn spoke to me, standing at the foot of the bed with his arms folded, a benevolent smile upon his face. 'You haven't tried to get up yet? I told you I'd make your legs useless.'  
I smiled and pulled the covers up over my chest as I reached out toward him and he pulled the healing potion from his pouch, sauntering over to the side of the bed, a cocky confidence in his stride. 'You found Arcadia's Cauldron then?'  
'I did.' He gently sat on the edge of the bed, pulling the small cork from the bottle and handing it to me with a mischevious grin. 'She also offered to give me a stamina potion, free of charge.' He ran his rough hand over my bare shoulder as I began to drink the potion, watching him as he continued. 'One might think that she knew we'd been locked up in the house all day, coupling like rabbits.' He gave me a sly grin and gently tugged the sheet away, revealing my bare chest.  
He raised one of his already high eyebrows, his grin widening to reveal his gleaming white teeth as he passed his eyes over my nakedness.

The potion trickled down the side of my mouth as I grinned while swallowing it; I quickly put the bottle down and wiped my mouth with my forearm. 'You're insatiable.'  
He laughed quietly, gently placing his hands on my shoulders and lowering me back down onto the bed. 'Well... You know what Dark Elves are like. We don't need stamina potions.' He gently kissed me and slid his hand down from my shoulder to gently squeeze my breast as he murmured to me. 'Has that jar of magic started working yet, my dear? I'm beginning to feel... neglected.' I heard the smile in his voice as I felt his teeth gently close around the tip of my ear.  
I grinned, kissing the hard muscle between his neck and shoulder as I spoke. 'Some of us need to recover. I'm afraid there's no Dark Elf in me.'  
'Not yet,' He growled into my ear, smiling widely, his fingers running down my ribs. 'Oh!' I laughed loudly, recoiling from the tickle on my side. 'I should have seen that coming.'

It was beginning to grow dark outside. Teldryn had indeed kept his word.  
My legs were very weak. Although I was in pain from the loss of my chastity, and achingly sore from our ceaseless unions, I was in a peaceful state of bliss, engulfed in a cloud of deep relaxation. I felt as though Teldryn and I had become completely entwined in one another; That we were so close now that we could feel eachother's souls.  
'I know I am demanding, sera.' He laid down on the bed next to me, sliding his arm underneath my shoulders and pulling me close to his chest. He kissed me softly on the forehead. 'I am drowning in all kinds of soft emotions. I'm enraptured.' He touched the side of my face with the tip of his nose, his hand sliding down under the covers to rest on my bare belly. 'I'll be pestering you for a while yet.'  
The beautiful glow of warmth in my chest burned brighter at the sound of his words; I turned my head and kissed him softly on the lips as I felt the healing potion begin to soothe the pain in my body.  
He eagerly met my kiss with his own, waiting for only a moment before twisting in the bed with surprising agility; before I knew it, he was on top of me again, pushing his knees apart to separate my legs and hungrily kissing my neck.  
'You're quick,' I laughed, surprised at his seemingly inexhaustible desire for yet another intimate embrace.  
'That's a lie,' he murmured, reaching under the covers to put the crook of his arm under my knee and lift up my leg, 'And I can prove it to you. Again. As many times as I need to...'  
'How can you not be exhausted?' I giggled gently. 'Aren't you hungry? We haven't done anything else all day...'  
'Oh, I'm hungry,' he purred, reaching down to undo his clothing.  
'I meant for food.' I grinned at him, closing my legs slightly. 'Lydia will be home soon. She might walk in on us.'  
'I don't care,' he murmured in a low growl, his voice heavy with lust. 'Let her.'

I smiled; for a moment I considered doing what he wanted. But then my stomach growled.  
'Come on,' I said quietly, slipping out from underneath him. 'Let's go to The Bannered Mare.'  
He sighed heavily, falling down onto his back on the bed as I stood up. 'As you wish, Dragonborn.' He pouted slightly. 'I suppose I'll have to smuggle this into the local tavern now.' He smiled slyly as he pulled his trousers up, tucking away his impressively erect manhood as he did so.  
I laughed as I reached for my nightingale armour and hood. I felt my affection for him grow as I looked at him, lying on the bed with a smart smile on his face and his hands behind his head.  
'You can stay here if you wish.' I began to put on my armour as he watched me. 'I need to find Lydia anyway. I'll bring us something back.' 


	25. Chapter 26: History

I laid back on the bed and closed my eyes, a blissful smile upon my face.

It didn't matter to me that Nysteris had refused my last advance; I was more content now than I had ever been since I could remember. My whole body sang.  
I owned the heart and desire of a beautiful snow elf dragonborn, and soon I would be going to Dragonsreach with her to make history. I had never been more in my element. Life was once again a wondrous journey to be grasped with both hands.  
And I couldn't believe my luck that she was going to fetch me dinner. Surely there had to be a catch. Was she going to poison me?

I roused from my idle musings when I suddenly realised that I was alone in her house.

I had been waiting patiently for an opportunity like this one. Not because I wanted to be free of her - oh, how far from the truth - but because I wanted to learn about her. About her habits, her literature, her interests, her tastes. And about her race in particular.  
It was difficult to get Nysteris to talk openly about it at the best of times. Doing so seemed to upset her.  
Despite our newfound affection for eachother, she remained as tight-lipped as always. If seducing her had made any difference to that situation, I had yet to see its effects.  
I got up from the bed and quietly descended the wooden stairs, looking around me as though I were committing a robbery.

A small room was positioned under the stairs; It was the only part of the house I had not yet seen - and the only one I hadn't ravaged Nysteris in. Yet.  
I made a mental note of that fact as I quietly walked into it, my eyes searching the walls and corners in the dim light.  
An alchemy laboratory sat in the corner, covered with a thin layer of dust. A small shelf of ingredients rested just above it; Elve's ear, tundra cotton, hawk feathers, frost salts. None of that was particularly interesting to me. It was the bookshelf against the wall that caught my attention.  
I quickly ran my fingers over the closely packed spines of the books. Some of them were spell tomes; others were softer literature. The complete set of The Real Barenziah was there. This surprised me; I had thought her fairly ignorant of Dunmer history before, even though I now realised that she had given me no cause to think such a thing.  
The row of books on the next shelf down were more interesting still; a brassy gold colour and so old that they barely held themselves together.  
I pulled one of them out and opened it, my curiosity exciting me; I was somewhat deflated to find that all of the text inside was written in a strange type of rune I had never seen before, and in a language which I had no hope of comprehending. I frowned, replacing it on the shelf; I took another of the old books from the shelf and flipped through it, disappointed to see the same obscure lines and shapes.  
I stopped flicking through the pages as an illustration caught my eye; I took the book out of the dark little room and into the light as I studied it. Two elven men, one with white hair and the other black, holding gleaming spears and wearing intricate armour. They were riding on the backs of two strange dragons, which bore beaks and no teeth.  
Below them, a more familiar looking dragon flew with its mouth open, pointed toward the elves.  
The riders were slightly strange in appearance; they were depicted with long ears which were sharply pointed, even for a mer. Their eyes were sloped upward and their eyebrows thin. It was then that I recognised their race: Snow elves. They must be.

I heard the door open as Nysteris returned. The smell of food wafted through the air as she yelled out.  
'Wake up, Sero,' She called. 'I've brought... Oh.' She saw me standing in the corner, still holding the open book in my hands.

I felt embarrassed for a split second; I shrugged it off as I gave her a beaming smile. 'Hello, Sera. Back already?'

Her hood was still on her face; I saw her slump a little as she walked over to the table next to me and put a large earthenware pot onto it along with two loaves of fresh bread. 'What are you doing, Telrdyn?' She almost sighed.  
It was a better reaction than what I had expected. I smiled triumphantly. 'Just reading.'  
'You can't read that. It's in Falmer.'  
'Ah, is that what it is?' I walked over to her, book in hand. 'No wonder I couldn't make it out.' I smelled the air in an exaggerated fashion, squinting my eyes.  
'Oh Azura, what is that smell? It's delicious.' I smiled at her again, trying to charm my way out of trouble.  
'Potage le Magnifique.'  
'I'm sorry, what?'  
'Nevermind.' She pulled off her hood, tossing it onto the table. 'Are you going to have some?' I could tell that she wasn't impressed with me, but once again I'd decided to push my luck.  
'Tell me about this picture,' I said quietly, pointing to it as I sat down next to her. 'It's very interesting.'

She sighed, breaking off a chunk of bread and removing the lid from the warm pot, dipping inside of it. 'They're The Heralds. It's a long story.' She put the bread into her mouth and began to chew.  
'Oooh. I love long stories,' I said with a cheeky grin on my face. I grabbed the other loaf and tore off a chunk. 'Come on, let's hear it.'  
'It's boring.'  
'Nonsense.' I dipped the bread into the pot. I smiled before stuffing it into my mouth. 'Come now. Humour me. I've been aching to learn more about Snow Elves.'  
She looked at me sideways, her mouth full. 'Really?' She raised an eyebrow. 'You're serious.'  
'Of course I am. Why wouldn't I want to learn more about you? and them? I'm the only mer in Skyrim lucky enough to own one.'

She glared at me for a moment, a look of indignation on her face; It quickly softened into a smile as I beamed at her.  
'Alright then.' She wiped her hand on her side as she shifted in her seat. 'I'll start from the beginning.'  
I grabbed the bottle of sujamma from the table and focused on her intently as she began to talk.

'The snow elves have lived in Skyrim since long before the Nords. Our civilisation was already great when the first of them migrated here; The Atmorans.'  
I frowned at her as I concentrated; I still couldn't believe she was being so amiable about it. I took a drink.  
'We shared our homeland with the dragons. It had always been that way. Monahven and The Vale were born on the same ground. The Nords claim the legend of the Dragonborn as their own, but it only became a part of their lore after they came here; It has been a part of ours since time immemorial.'  
'We coexisted with the dragons, but it was never a good relationship. A dragon then was the same as a dragon now. But we were worshippers of Auri-El; Akatosh. Their maker.  
'Auri-El was pleased by our reverence and, at a time long before anybody could remember, gifted upon us our protection from his children: The twin dragons Voslaarum and Naslaarum, and two souls to rein them in: The Heralds. What the Nords now call Dragonborn; We never knew that name.

'Voslaarum and Naslaarum were unique creatures, unlike any other dragons to soar the skies of Tamriel. They looked different from their Dovah brothers; They were bird-like, toothless, smaller. But they were fearsome beyond belief; The only souls who could soothe and control them were The Heralds.  
The Heralds were two Dragonborn souls who were always brought into the mortal world in pairs. Sometimes twins like their Dovah mounts, sometimes two people born to different families of different genders, but always at the same time. They always bore resemblance to eachother, and represented the two aspects needed to defeat the Dovah in battle: Reverence to Auri-El, and the spirit of war.

'When The Heralds died - Usually one quickly following the other - their souls were released to Auri-El to await rebirth into their next bodies. It could take anywhere from months to years for this to happen. While the Heralds were with Auri-El, waiting to be reborn, the twin dragons became vicious and savage; The people anxiously waited for the return of the Sun and Moon. The rebirth of The Heralds onto this plane was revealed by the sudden pacification of Voslaarum and Naslaarum, at their shrine in the great lake.

'The Heralds defended their kin from the dragons which attacked the vale, riding their terrible mounts up into the skies to bring them down, and consuming their souls upon their defeat. They also heralded the arrival of the Snow Prince on the battle field, their terrible wings and piercing screams striking fear into the hearts of their enemies as their great wings blotted out the sun.  
They were heroes to the Falmer, but strangely, they were not as revered to the Falmer people as the twin dragons themselves were. The Heralds were considered to be soldiers and weapons, not unlike a special heavy weapons unit.

'When Faire and I were born, the last heralds had departed their mortal bodies over 40 years earlier. Voslaarum and Naslaarum had been feral for all of that time.

When we arrived on this earth, screaming and wet, the elders said the revered dragons became still. They began to accept offerings for the first time since their last riders had departed them.'

'You and Faire were Heralds?'

'Our parents refused to accept it. I'm still not sure why; My mother continually attempted to stall attempts to intitiate us. She groomed Faire into her own likeness; She became soft, fragile, detached.'  
'My father, I think, feared for our lives. We were still only little girls. While he was accepting of what we were, he wouldn't allow us to begin our path until he had decided we were ready. That time never came while he was alive. He knew that if one of us fell, the other would soon follow; It was unbearable to him. He loved us too much.'

She paused for a moment; The look on her face wasn't one of anguish, but of deep thought.

'The war with the Atmorans was almost at an end. Faire and I were too young to take up our mantles. Arch curate Vyrthur had become strangely stricken, withdrawing into solitude within the chantry; Afflicted with what I now know was vampirism.'

I frowned. 'How did that happen? Auri-El didn't prevent it?'

'The people said that Auri-El had abandoned us.'

She looked into the fire, her mind miles away. I dare not interrupt her; What she was telling me was incredible.

'I may be dragonborn, but my destiny was ultimately only to protect my people, the Snow Elves... That destiny was wrenched from me when our civilisation collapsed.'

'How did you find yourself here?' I almost whispered.

'I don't know why I'm here. My people are gone... I know of a couple of secret colonies, but together they now number less than three hundred. My twin has gone, and my balance has gone with her. Voslaarum and Naslaarum are dead. I've been artificially preserved by vampirism for centuries, which has been the only thing which has kept me alive... in a manner of speaking...'  
She sighed loudly.  
'Whatever my destiny was, it no longer matters. It was an age ago. It's irrelevant now. I'm cut adrift, like so much kelp in the ocean; I have no purpose.'  
'Then why defeat Alduin?'  
'Because I'm the only one who can.'  
I frowned. 'There must be more to it. Don't you want to preserve this world?'

'I care not for the fate of this world; I am only trying to do what I was born to do.'  
I struggled to find words; I stared into her eyes pleadingly, trying to find a shred of altruism in her. 'You're a Herald,' I said, almost begging her to change her mind. 'You were destined to be a saviour.'

'It's all history now.' 


	26. Chapter 27: Odahviing

'Are you ready to get going?'

Teldryn's voice was quiet and tender, his hand gently moving to touch my waist. His ebony mail gleamed in the firelight, his sword sheathed at his side.

I exhaled slowly through my hood as we stood outside of Breezehome, feeling a ripple of power and fear course through my body. My fingers curled around the hilt of Dawnbreaker, tingling as its aura hummed at my side; The cold evening air blew across the city streets, carrying the dead leaves with it as it passed.  
I raised my head to look at the escort of guards in front of me, holding their torches high, backs straight, awaiting my word.

Behind them, a crowd had gathered. Battleborns, Graymanes on opposite sides; Townspeople and children in between.  
The Companions were there; Kodlak Whitemane stood tall and straight with a faint smile upon his face, flanked by his fellows, Farkas and Vilkas. Aela and Skjor shadowed them closely, their eyes burning into me and Teldryn.  
I scowled beneath my hood. 'May the gods be with you, Dragonborn.' Eorlund Graymane stepped forward, his callused hand extended toward me, a serious expression upon his face; He towered over me as he spoke. 'You bear all of our hopes for victory with you. Fight or die well.'

Teldryn's hand dropped from my waist and he slowly took a step forward, protectively placing himself between Eorlund and I at an angle that allowed me to grasp Eorlund's hand, but prevented him from coming any closer.  
'I will.' I gripped Eorlund's hand tightly as Teldryn's stare bore into him.  
The older man smirked. 'Quite the bodyguard you've got there.'  
'Thankyou.' Teldryn gave a terse grin, holding his ground.

I looked at The Companions grouped behind Eorlund. They clearly had no idea what I was, and that was the way it would stay. There was a reason that I had never allowed the people of Whiterun to discover my race.

Their presence here offended me. These were the same people who idolised Ysgramor the tyrant, the one who had made the slopes of Moesring run red with snow elf blood. Now they cheered me on as I went forth to liberate them from Alduin's rage.  
It didn't matter to me that none of them had helped him to commit the slaughter; Their worship of this act of genocide made them my enemies. I was old enough to remember.  
'For Skyrim, sister.' Aela's friendly, confident tone chimed through the air.

I snarled quietly.

'Let's go.' I quickly turned and began to walk towards Dragonsreach, Teldryn at my side and the Whiterun guard quickly making pace, lighting the way with their torches.

'That was awkward.' Teldryn mumbled through the side of his mouth as he strode next to me.  
'Ready yourself.' I stared up as Dragonsreach loomed into view. 'I need you to be prepared.'  
'Of course.'

The walk to the palace seemed to take an eternity.

I took a deep breath as we reached the great wooden doors. The guards waiting there rushed to open them, their voices wavering with uncertainty. 'Hail, Dragonborn.' They glanced at eachother nervously as we passed.

I could see the Jarl upon his throne as the great doors of Dragonsreach swung open before us. He stood up quickly upon our entrance; Irileth stared at us, stone-faced, at his side as always.  
'Dragonborn! We've been anxiously waiting for your arrival.'  
How I grew tired of hearing that name; Dragonborn.  
'It's time.' I felt Teldryn gently brush past my shoulder as he stood beside me, smiling smugly at Irileth. 'Let's get this over with.' 'Serjo.' Irileth addressed Teldryn as he stood at my side, his arms folded. 'Muthsera.'  
'Is this your servant, Dragonborn?'  
'I prefer Right Hand.' He smiled sarcastically at Irileth as he spoke. 'Servant is such a... belittling term. Wouldn't you agree, Housecarl?'  
'Hmph. I can tell you're from Morrowind.'  
'What gave it away, outlander?'  
'Enough, both of you.' Balgruuf chided. 'You should know better. Now is not the time.'  
'Apologies, my Jarl.'

'Is everything prepared?' I didn't want to wait any more. The time was now, and I wanted to sieze it.  
'Yes.' He sighed. I could tell that he didn't want this. He looked stressed, haggard. 'The trap is set on the great balcony. My best men are waiting for your word. And a few spectators, of course.'  
'Spectators? Are you serious?' I couldn't quite believe what I'd just heard.  
'This is the greatest event to happen in Whiterun since the capture of Numinex.' His voice became firm. 'This is my castle. They are members of my court. I am performing a great service for you by allowing this.'  
'You risk their lives, Balgruuf.' I felt my anger rising. 'They will be an obstruction.'  
'They risk their own lives.' I could feel his own temper beginning to rise along with mine. Teldryn and Irileth glared eachother down from their respective positions.  
'Come on, Teldryn.' I barked at him as I stormed my way up the stairs to the doors of the balcony. 'As you wish, sera.' I heard him jogging slowly to catch up to me.

The doors to the balcony were already open, waiting for my arrival; I could see the flames of the torches and sconces lining the walls, and the great yoke, oiled and ready as it hung from the high ceiling. The chains spanned across from wall to wall, each anchor point manned by a hesitant looking guard.  
The spectators were crowded nearby behind a decorative stone wall on a raised platform. They tittered and gossiped, buzzing with hushed excitement as they saw me stride onto the balcony with Teldryn. Expensive clothes and elaborate headwear; It evoked my anger.

I stopped when I reached the edge of the balcony, turning to wait for Irileth to catch up. The guards craned their necks to watch us, raising their torches higher.  
'The yoke is ready.' She waved a hand toward the trap. 'The dragon will be captured when its head crosses this line. The guards know their roles.'  
'Are they strong and fearless men?' I glared at her from beneath the hood. 'If they abandon their posts in battle, you will pay in lives.'

'The very best we have.' She stared at me doubtfully. 'I hope you know what you're doing.'  
I turned to Teldryn as she walked away, softly touching his forearm. His was the only life I truly cared about risking in this whole fiasco. He smiled down at me, almost sadly; his hand slowly went forward where it couldn't be seen by the crowd and gently touched my side.  
'This is it.' I heard my voice waver ever so slightly as I looked up at him. 'I hope you're ready.'  
'I am.' I could see affection in his eyes as he beheld me. It wasn't helping. 'Just give the word. I know what to do.'  
I exhaled loudly, pulling the bow from my back. 'Stand away.'

The crowd hushed as I braced myself at the edge of the balcony and Teldryn drew his sword as he backed away from me; I vaguely heard Irileth barking orders to her guards as I summoned the voice from deep within my body, feeling it build within me like a powerful storm.

'ODAH-VIING!'

The power of the shout cracked through the air like an explosion. A brief glow manifested in the twilight as the rumble radiated out to the skies; The croud squealed and gasped at the spectacle.

The guards looked to Irileth nervously as the night became still again.  
'Did it work?'  
'How should I know?' she snapped. 'Stand to attention!'  
A minute passed.  
I could feel my heart thumping in my chest as my eyes scanned the skies and my ears strained to listen for the familiar sound of great wings; Nothing.  
'Maybe she should do it again...'

It was then that I heard it; A great, low rumble and the whoosh of wings, heralding the arrival of the dragon as it answered my call.  
'It's coming! Brace yourselves!' I turned my head and bellowed at Irileth.  
The crowd began to panic; Irileth ignored them and wrangled her men. 'To your positions! Your hour is here!' She shouted at them as they drew their weapons.  
I saw a glow from my peripheral vision as Teldryn summoned his flame atronach. Screams echoed from the spectators as a deafening roar came searing through the air, and Odahviing burst into sight above us.

The terror of every person around me was palpable. I nocked an arrow in the ebony bow, trying desperately to focus amid the panicked shrieks of the onlookers as the flame atronach released its first ball of fire.  
The dragon's red scales gleamed as the flames crashed against them; its mouth opened like a terrible trap as a massive gout of flame flooded the ground near my feet, bursting as it hit the ground and licking at my body.  
I staggered, dropping the arrow as I became engulfed in fire, gritting my teeth as I quickly summoned a frost cloak. The ice instantly soothed my skin as I heard Irileth screaming at the guards.  
'Fall back! Get those gawkers out of here!' an arrow hissed past my ear and struck the dragon in the shoulder; It beat its massive wings as it disappeared over the roof of the balcony, turning in the air to make its second pass.  
I quickly rose back onto my feet and rushed toward Teldryn, His sword drawn and his spell hand raised as he waited for the dragon to return.  
'Are you hurt, sera?' he panted, his eyes still fixed upon the skies.  
'Tell the guards to get away from the edge,' I ordered him. 'We have to ground Odahviing. I need room.' 'Fall back!' He roared, his voice rasping as he shouted. 'To me! Move, you fetchers! Now!'  
The guards scrambled to follow Teldryn as he withdrew toward the doors, still braced for battle. The other guards desperately tried to usher the spectators away as they shrieked and scattered; It was then that I turned, just in time to see Odahviing land upon the balcony, the ground shaking at the impact and the guards near him falling onto their knees.  
The creature was a terrible sight. It was smooth, streamlined, serpentine; The crest of spines running down its neck and back led to the great red horns upon its head, curving upward like scimitars. Its eyes burned with rage and domination the likes of which I had not seen in any dragon before it. It had answered my challenge, and it had come here for war.  
I gripped my sword and summoned the voice again as it swooped its huge neck around with its jaws open; The screams of the witnesses intensified as its mouth snapped shut around the nearest guard, his weapon dropping to the ground as the massive teeth impaled him. The creature flung its head in a great arc, blood spraying from the torn body of the man, his innards spilling onto the stone in a bloody mass as the dragon released its jaws and the torso was flung into the sky.  
Odahviing roared at me, his teeth stained with blood, the noise so deafening that it made me ache; his great wings spread out beside him as he prepared to take to the skies.

'JOOR ZAH FRUL!'

He reared up, screaming with shock and rage as the dragonrend shout connected with his body. I snarled through clenched teeth, the adrenaline rushing through me as I drew my sword; It was done. Odahviing was grounded. All that remained was to lure him to the harness.  
I quickly leaped clear of his massive jaws as they snapped shut next to me. He was beginning to move toward me, leaning on the joints of his wings to support himself; I rushed forward with Dawnbreaker raised high as another firebolt from Teldryn broke on Odahviing's flank and arrows hissed past my head.  
'Aaaaaaaaargh!'  
I roared as I buried dawnbreaker into the side of the dragon's neck, lodging it between the interlocking red scales. The monster recoiled, jerking its head upward; I quickly let go of the embedded blade and turned to run toward the doors.

I heard the deafening sound as Odahviing released another great gush of flame. I felt the fire burn my back through my armour as I almost stumbled from the force, my eyes fixed upon Teldryn and Irileth as I ran to reach them. 'Prepare!' I roared at them as I began to close the distance between us. I felt the heavy steps of the dragon shake the ground as it rapidly came up behind me.

'Now!'

Teldryn reached out and grabbed me by the wrist with his right hand, hauling me over the line as I tripped, the skin on my back blistered and bleeding from the flames of the dragon. He was engulfed in the black poison mist of Boethiah's ebony mail, His red eyes the only detail of him visible through it as they blazed amid the darkness.  
'I said now!' Teldryn hollered as he dragged me backward, glaring at Irileth. 'Do it, outlander!'  
Odahviing's mouth was opened wide, the glow of fire building within it; I stared in shock as the jaws began to close around Teldryn and I as he scooped me up and moved backward.

A massive thud rang out as the great yoke fell down upon Odahviing's neck; A terrible roar issued from him as the soldiers pulled the chains tighter, a gout of flame issuing up to the ceiling as the creature's neck was wrenched downward.

Cheers of surprise and victory began to sing out from Irileth and her men.

It was done; Odahviing was caught.

'We did it, sera.' Teldryn panted as he held me up, carefully moving his hand to avoid my burns. 'We've made history.' 


	27. Chapter 28: Awakened

'NID! Horvutah med kodaav.'  
My head was spinning. It all seemed too surreal. The great beast had become calm.

Odahviing's neck was wedged in between the two halves of the heavy trap, the great chains pulled taut on either side by the cranks. Blood still dripped from his teeth. Arrows were stuck in his body. Every breath he drew was a huge rush of smoke tainted air.  
His voice was so low and deep that it resonated through my chest.  
I had not expected the dragon to speak. The revelation made everything seem somehow more terrible; The thought that these were intelligent, self aware creatures only made their malice and lust for destruction seem worse.

'Zok frini grind ko grah drun viiki, Dovahkiin.'

Nysteris began to glow with a golden light as she healed herself, still leaning against my shoulder.  
I couldn't tell if she understood the dragon tongue; Her face was firmly set toward Odahviing as she firmly pushed away from me and slowly began to walk over to him. Her calmness was unnerving; Unnatural considering the events that had passed only moments ago.  
'Ah. I forget. You do not have the dovah speech.'  
He craned his neck to watch her as she walked over to his shoulder, her hand raising up to grip the hilt of Dawnbreaker, still wedged between the large red scales of the dragon's neck.  
'My... Eagerness to meet you in battle was my... undoing, Dovahkiin. I salute your, hmm, low cunning in devising such a grahmindol - stratagem. Even with your... other half and your dovah mount yet to stir from their slumber, you are a worthy adversary... Herald of War.'

A pang of shock struck me at the dragon's words.  
Slumber?  
My mind raced at the implications of it. Nysteris had said that Faire and the Avatars were dead. Surely that was what the beast had meant.  
Was it possible...?  
Nysteris froze, her white fingers curled around the hilt of her blade, still buried in Odahviing's neck.  
Her face was obscured by her hood; I didn't know whether she was halted by Odahviing's provocative suggestion, or by the fact that he had addressed her as Herald in front of Irileth and the guardsmen.  
'You know why I brought you here.' She slowly began to pull Dawnbreaker from the dragon's flesh, the metal noisily scraping against the scales.

A low rumble erupted from Odahviing as the blade was pulled free, his lip curling to reveal more of his terrible teeth. His head swooped around to meet her. Nysteris was within striking distance from his jaws; A ripple of fear coursed thorugh me as I watched with bated breath.

'Zu'u bonaar. You went to a great deal of trouble to put me in this... Humiliating position.'  
Nysteris sheathed Dawnbreaker and stared at him, perfectly still, waiting for him to continue.  
'Hind siiv Alduin, hmm? No doubt you want to know where to find Alduin?'  
'Where is he?' Her voice was so calm; as if she were speaking to a street vendor.

'One reason I came to your call was to test your Thu'um myself. Many of us have begun to question Alduin's lordship, whether his Thu'um was truly the strongest. Among ourselves, of course. Mu ni meyye. None were yet ready to openly defy him.' 'Tell me where to find him.' Her voice became stronger; She took a step toward his face.

'Unslaad krosis. Innumerable pardons. I digress.'  
Odahviing shifted his wings and craned his neck, moving awkwardly in the yoke. This was clearly uncomfortable and degrading for him. His politeness was suddenly more understandable to me; He was quietly desperate for his freedom. Perhaps he remembered the fate of Numinex before him.  
'He has travelled to Sovngarde to regain his strength, devouring the sillesjour... The souls of the mortal dead. A privilege he jealously guards... His door to Sovngarde is at Skuldafn, one of his ancient fanes high in the eastern mountains. Mindoraan, pah ok middovahhe lahvraan til. I surely do not need to warn you that all of his remaining strength is marshalled there.'

The enormity of the task we were undertaking suddenly dawned on me.  
Were we capable of this? Was I? Was Nysteris?  
Either way; It was too late to turn back now.

'Zu'u lost ofan hin laan... Now that I have answered your question, you will allow me to go free?'

'Not until Alduin is dead.'  
She leaned in close to the monster, her voice low. the question I had been waiting for emerged from her lips as I held my breath.  
'My sister... does she live?'  
'Live... In a manner of speaking.' A crooked smile slowly spread across Odahviing's bloody lips. 'You are surprising, Dovahkiin. Do you think the captors who took your mortality when they plucked you from the vale would be content with only half? They could not risk keeping you together. Or even telling you of the other's existence. Of what use is one Herald without the other? How could they steer the Avatars?'  
He snarled as he spoke. 'Do you not wonder how you still draw breath in your mortal body? Why you have not followed your kindred soul into the arms of Akatosh?'

Nysteris was quiet; When her voice returned, it was a whisper. Tainted with weakness and desperation.  
'What... What happened to her?'  
'Hmm. The ones who captured you both - those children of the night - In their hopes to preserve you, they did not know that granting you their embrace... turning you from life to death... would kill your Avatars.'  
'What happened to her?'  
'The spirit of reverence... She was not as fearsome as you were. When you slew your captors and escaped, she was locked away... Forgotten. Left to molder like a relic.'  
'Does she live? Answer me!'  
'When you... were granted the return of your mortality... Her corruption was removed as well. The avatars awoke in The Vale, shattering the ice of the lake with their screams. But her life is hanging by a thread. And your own hangs in the balance, Dovahkiin. When she passes, she will call you to your father with her.'

I wasn't certain whether I could believe what I was hearing from Odahviing. It was too surreal; Too perilous.  
By healing herself, Nysteris had unwittingly sealed her own fate.  
If she could not find Faire before she wasted away, Nysteris would die.  
And the twin dragons...

'Where is she?'

'She is where the end began... In The Forgotten Vale.'

Nysteris fell to her knees; I could feel her absolute shock, her despair. Nothing could have prepared her for this.

If she went to fight Alduin now, she would die on the way, Faire's soul calling her into the embrace of Auri-El to await her rebirth.  
I didn't know what to do; I took a step toward her, but I couldn't find the words.

'I could fly you there. But not while imprisoned like this.'

The longest silence passed between the three of us; Irileth and the guards stood silent, watching in horror and awe.

'How do I know I can trust you?'

'Zu'u ni tahrodiis. It was you who lured me here and took me prisoner... Vobalaan grahmindol. I have done nothing to earn your distrust.'

she trembled as she knelt on the cold stone; As she slowly stood, I walked to meet her at her side.

'I cannot... I... I need time.'

'Ah, Herald of War. But time... you do not have.' 


	28. Chapter 29: The Vale

'Why are we waiting, Sera? You don't have a choice.'  
Teldryn's voice was gentle, pleading; I felt his strong arms enclose me as I lay on my side on the bed.  
The familiar surroundings of Breezehome provided me with little comfort.

Faire was alive. Voslaarum and Naaslaarum were awake.

In the space of two hours, my entire life had changed; and that same life could flicker out at any moment.

'I will not let you die here.' He kissed my neck softly. 'Not like this.'

His voice faded away beneath the turmoil of my mind.

In the countless years since I had been taken and turned, as the centuries faded past one after another, as the passage of time had slowly become meaningless to me; Not once had I considered the possibility that this could have happened. That Faire had been taken too, that her life had been snatched from her as mine had been ripped from me.  
I barely remembered her face.  
She was in the Vale; The Vale where we had grown up together, hiding in the snowy forests and collecting gleamblossoms to light the caves; Where our people had flourished and the favour of Auri-El had bathed our cities in light. The Vale where Gelebor still lingered, now fighting to keep our twisted brethren out of the fallen Chantry; Where Arch-curate Vyrthur had spat in the face of the god he once served and cried his laments to the empty skies, bloody tears staining his face.

...Vyrthur.

I still remembered the hatred burning in his glowing eyes as I had driven my sword into his heart. His words still echoed in my head:  
'You were wasted,' He had hissed. 'Corrupted and useless like spoiled meat. The Heralds are dead, and the last hope of the Falmer died with you.'  
His affliction had made him into a twisted travesty of the noble snow elf he once was. He had become consumed with vengeance, hate and power. He had been a child of the night long before Faire and I were taken.

The realisation suddenly crashed upon me like a breaking wave.  
Faire was in The Vale, afflicted with vampirism until I had cured myself; Vyrthur had been driven and motivated entirely by his desire for revenge against Auri-El, and by the desire for power.  
There had never been vampires in The Vale... Except for Vyrthur.  
He had caught her and afflicted her, keeping her prisoner as an act of spite against the god he despised, trying to use her to gain control of the revered dragons. His anguish must only have increased when he learned that taking her life severed her bond with Voslaarum.

Had he been the engineer of my corruption as well?  
I may never know. The answers died with Vyrthur at the tip of my sword.

'...The Chantry.' I felt the words part my lips, but I did not hear them.

'Nysteris!'  
I heard Teldryn's voice as I felt him shake me roughly by the shoulder. 'She's in the Chantry,' I blurted to him, sitting up on the bed. He glared at me in wary hesitance, his red eyes wide and his brow furrowed hard, making his tattoos bend.  
'Faire?' His voice was short and sharp. 'How do you know?'  
'I... I just know.' I stood up from the bed, staring at him with an expression of shock and determination.  
I felt my love for him burn within me briefly as I looked at his face; He had been my strength and salvation ever since I had hired him, always gently holding me up and following me into danger, quietly accepting of the horrors I had displayed.  
I realised that I was no longer capable of doing this without him.  
I decided that I wasn't going to pay him anymore; He was mine now. He would follow me to the ends of Nirn, and I wouldn't go without him.  
'We're going back to Odahviing. To The Vale.' My voice was firm and quiet as I looked at him. 'Will you come with me?'  
He frowned. 'I'm a little offended that you felt you needed to ask.' A small smile broke on his lips.  
'This will be frightening for you. You will see things that no living soul has. There will be bloodshed and pain; You will see our Vale, our ruins, our history... Our Avatars. You could die.'  
'You don't need to sell it. I was going to go anyway.'  
He smiled and stood up, looking down at me as he gently brushed a lock of hair away from my face with his fingers. 'And if I die... Well...' He lowered his head to kiss me softly. '...I can't think of any way I'd rather do it than by your side.'  
His hand travelled slowly down my hair and back,coming to rest on my hip.  
'I'd like to make a presumptuous request, my dear.' He continued to kiss me, his other hand cradling my face. 'If this is going to be the last night we spend together alone... Or alive...' He pulled me closer to him.

'...I want to spend it in your arms.' 


	29. Chapter 30: Inner Sanctum

'Saraan uth - I await your command, as promised. Are you ready to see the world as only a dovah can?'

Nysteris walked calmly over to Odahviing, now freed from the trap and waiting for her to proceed.  
I had not expected the dragon to keep his word. Not after he'd tried to kill us and had torn a man apart with his jaws before our eyes. There would have been little we could have done to stop him if he had chosen to flee.  
Instead, it appeared as though he and Nysteris had come to a form of mutual understanding and respect, tentative though it was. She was still wary; I could read it in the way she moved. I had no doubt that Odahviing felt the same way, knowing that she could devour his soul.

it was... Uncomfortable.

She stopped when she reached the dragon's shoulder, pausing only briefly before grabbing one of the long black spines and hoisting herself up onto the base of his neck; He swung his head around to watch her as she settled, ensuring she was properly anchored.

The sight of her sitting astride the dragon's neck was like an epiphany. She seemed completely natural, nonchalant; as if she had done it a thousand times before. It looked right.  
I beheld her in her glory, her hood removed and her long black hair whipping behind her in the wind, her white skin glowing and her huge, blue, black-rimmed eyes burning with ferocity, staring down at me as she gripped onto Odahviing's spine with her right hand.  
I could see it now. The fierceness on her cold and serious face. The Herald was emerging.  
It was not the same as the evil bloodlust which had consumed her when she had been undead; It was different. An ancient and dangerously well-tempered power, over a thousand years in the waiting. The manifestation of her purpose; The Spirit Of War.

I was, as always, hopelessly smitten.

Irileth and the guards whispered among themselves as they waited for Balgruuf to arrive. They certainly had alot to gossip about. They had all overheard much more than either of us had wanted them to. I had been somewhat surprised at Nysteris' decision to unveil herself before them and reveal her race; No doubt it had come as a shock to many, if they even recognised what she was.  
There was no point in hiding any longer now.

Balgruuf came striding through the doors to the balcony, his steward scampering after him. His jaw dropped as he looked at Nysteris and Odahviing; It appeared as if his words had escaped him.

'Come on, Teldryn.' She cocked her head slightly, her eyes shifting from me to pierce Balgruuf from her position atop Odahviing.

I shivered, the fur Nysteris had made me wear underneath my armour tickling my beard. Was I ready to see the world as only a dovah can? No. No, I was not.  
The idea of actually mounting it and allowing it to fly away with me on its back was all too grandiose. I sighed audibly. If this had been anybody but her telling me to do it, I would have quit in a heartbeat.

'Teldryn. Get on the Dragon.' Her voice was firm.

I hesitantly walked over to the massive beast, the hiss of its breath ringing in my ears. Every fibre of my being was expecting it to suddenly rip me in two with its jaws. I was not Dragonborn. I was a mercenary.  
Instead, Odahviing swooped his great horned head down beside me, resting his jaw upon the ground so that I could climb up; His eye glared up at me, filled with the same rage I had seen when he had first landed on the balcony the night of his capture.  
Maybe that was the way he looked all of the time.  
'Do it.' She snapped at me.  
I gingerly put my foot on the red scales lining the side of his neck and hoisted myself up, clinging onto the long black spikes like Nysteris had. I swung my leg over the beasts neck, holding on to the spines for dear life. Nysteris was a small distance behind me; at least I wouldn't be soaring the skies of Tamriel with a face full of hair.  
'Let's go.'  
Odahviing reared his massive head, sending me sliding a small distance backward as he did so; He turned on the knuckles of his wings to face outward from the great balcony.  
'Amativ! Mu bo kotin stinselok.'  
A great whoosh swept through the air as the dragon beat his wings, and we rose up into the air with great force; I felt my stomach churn as we surged forward, and the landscape of Whiterun Hold shrank away beneath us.

The experience of being borne aloft on the back of a dragon was one that I could never have adequately prepared myself for.  
We were soaring over the Forgotten Vale now; Odahviing had slowly begun to descend. My face was numb from the bitingly cold wind, my beard and hair flecked with snow. The roar of the freezing wind past my aching ears was deafening.  
The immense snow-capped mountains rose forebodingly on either side of us, their barren, jagged slopes descending into a massive canyon far below. I could just make out a river running through it; Everything looked cold, frozen, untouched. No civilisation had been here for the longest time.  
Odahviing continued his descent, turning in the sky. It was then that I saw it: The Chantry.  
It was huge. Great sharp peaks arched up to meet eachother over its ceilings, layered thick with ice and snow; A great courtyard lay bare, a fountain at its center, frozen solid like everything else around it. Long staircases curved upward onto intricate balconies; A long, elegant stone bridge gracefully spanned the distance over the chasm that separated the chantry from the slopes of the frozen mountains around it. Long, sharp icicles jutted downward from its edges, sparkling in the glaring sun like crystal.  
Like so many times before, since I had found myself in Nysteris' companionship, I was in awe. This was it; The jewel in the crown of the once great Falmer race, abandoned and desolate for a thousand years, its majesty and lonely beauty frozen in time, reclaimed by the ice and snow.  
I had never thought I would live to behold such a thing. Much less behold it from the skies on the back of a dragon.  
I turned to look at Nysteris behind me; She too was transfixed, her eyes squinting from the cold wind, snow in her hair and her fingers gripping onto the spines of the dragon. But the look upon her face was not one of awe; it was one of desperation. Her thoughts were with her sister.  
I gritted my teeth and braced myself as best I could as Odahviing raised his wings and extended his claws, the snow exploding around us with a thunderous slam as he landed on the precipice next to the bridge jewelled with huge icicles. Two of them broke away from the force of his impact; I watched as they silently sank into the dark abyss below.

'This is as far as I can take you. Your Avatars will come for me if they know of my presence here. Krif voth ahkrin.'  
I heard the snow crunch as Nysteris landed on it, quickly jumping from Odahviing's back. She drew her bow - not the heavy ebony one she normally favoured, but the intricate, pale golden one I had seen her use when we had fought the dragon in Falkreath Hold - the one with the arrows which exploded with light.  
'Thank you, Odahviing.' 'I will look for your return - Or Alduin's.'  
I quickly scrambled to get off his neck as he braced to take off, his wings spreading; I tumbled ungracefully to the ground in my haste, seconds before his enormous shape rushed up into the sky again, and he turned to fly away.  
I felt her hand reach out to grab my own as she helped me up, my face and hair covered with snow. My whole body ached from the cold; Dunmer were never meant to roam The Vale. I understood now why Nysteris had been so gently insistent that I wear the furs beneath my armour.  
'We don't have much time.' Her voice was quiet, urgent. 'We have to go. Now.'  
I stood up, looking past her over the bridge; A great, dark statue stood, dripping with icicles. It was a mer; A crown of long spikes rested upon his head, his hands held with palms facing up in reverence. His armour was of elegant, interlocking plates; two long, curved bars extended from his hands, culminating in a bronze star high above his head.  
'Is that... Auri-El?' I whispered.  
'Yes. This is the inner sanctum.' She took my hand, gently pulling me with her as she hurried over the grey stone bridge. 'Faire is here. She's dying.'  
I snapped out of my state of awe, jogging over the bridge to keep up with her.  
'How are you going to find her, Sera? This place... It's enormous...'  
She roughly snatched my hand again, and I felt a familiar warmth travel up my arm as I watched a golden glow engulf it.  
'Laas Yah Nir.'  
Once again, like the night by the frozen lake, the bright bursts of red light appeared in my vision; But where before there had been many blazes, many beacons of life, now there was only one: Waiting at the top of the stairs, in front of the doors to the inner sanctum.

I watched, startled, as the glow began to descend the staircase and make its way toward us.

What was this? Faire? I was still too far away to be certain; It moved slowly and purposefully, showing neither fear nor hesitation.

'Nysteris, wait...' I stopped, dropping her hand as I reached for my sword. 'That isn't Faire.'

The glow of the life whisper departed the instant I broke contact with Nysteris, and I saw it clearly; A man. Or, more precisely, a Mer.  
He was as white as Nysteris was. His hair was the same, a pure white, short and swept upward away from his face as if caught in a gust of wind.  
His armour was unlike anything I had seen before; It was of a pale ivory and bore intricate patterns, its cloth a crimson red, its gauntlets and boots the same.  
'I know,' Nysteris said as she jogged toward him. 'It's Knight Paladin Gelebor.' 


	30. Chapter 31: Faire

"-Nysteris. Where have you been? an incredible thing has happened...-"

Gelebor spoke to me in Falmer, his voice as calm and soothing as I remembered it. The sound of my mother tongue brought fleeting joy to my heart; the nostalgia washed over me, even through my desperation.  
Everything about him brought great comfort to me. His appearance, even though weathered by the ages, was the only thing that could ever truly remind me of what I was; He encompassed all of the qualities I took pride in as a snow elf - strength, grace, nobility, dedication, integrity. The embodiment of our people.

"-I know. The avatars.-"

He frowned down at me, his lined and rugged face bearing an expression of confusion. His ice blue eyes narrowed as he spoke. "-You knew? How is it possible?-" His eyes widened a little as he looked into mine, and he noticed the change; a look of realisation broke upon him as he spoke. "-You're alive.-" He stepped forward, a sense of urgency in his tone. "-Then Faire - is she with you?-"

"-No.-" I continued to press on towards the doors of the inner sanctum as I spoke to him, my eyes desperately searching for the red glow that would betray her location. "-She is here. In the Chantry. We don't have much time, Gelebor...-"  
"-She lives? Here? But how?-"  
"-It was Vyrthur.-" I began to push open the great doors; They groaned loudly, the sound echoing through the frozen halls beyond. "-She is here, trapped... Her life hangs by a thread. We must find her.-"

I turned to Teldryn, speaking to him in Common as I watched his face change when he beheld the inside of the Chantry. 'This is it.'  
I placed my hand on his chest as he looked down at me, a confused expression upon his face. 'She is in here somewhere. I need your help...'  
'Of course, Sera.' His hand gently slid down the side of my arm as he looked at me.  
Gelebor raised an eyebrow.  
'Give me my orders.'  
I smiled at him faintly. 'Hold still.'

I gripped his hand tightly and felt the bonding spell manifest within me, rippling down my arm as it travelled through my body into his. I saw his eyes open wider as they darted about the great hall; he could now see the life of the beings around him, just as I could.  
The spell was only temporary; But it would give him what he needed to search for Faire.  
'Now go.' I dropped his hand as I turned toward Gelebor again, Gripping my bow tightly. 'And don't touch anything. Especially not the statues.'  
'You're the boss.' He ran off into the icy hall, sword drawn.  
"-Come with me.-"  
Gelebor brandished his spear, moving ahead of me as he led the way down the great empty halls. "-The betrayed still inhabit this place. Vyrthur made no effort to keep them out; He preferred to use them as a deterrent.-" His head turned quickly to the side as he heard Teldryn's footsteps disappearing in the distance. "-Can your companion adequately defend himself?-"  
I smiled in spite of myself. "-He is very capable.-"  
"...-No doubt he is. I cannot imagine that you would have graced him with your affections otherwise.-"  
I felt a blush rise to my face; It hadn't taken Gelebor long to discern the nature of my relationship with Teldryn. Whether his comment had been indicative of his disapproval, I could not tell.  
"-Vyrthur's quarters are down here. I've only recently had the opportunity to visit this place myself, since you slew him.-"  
The halls were long and fringed with stalactites, everything around us bathed in a dim blue light. Our breath fogged in the air before us as we pressed onward, my eyes desperately combing the walls for the faintest glow of red, the slightest hint of irregularity that might indicate a hidden room; There was nothing.  
I began to feel the panic rise within me. Teldryn's words rang in my head: 'How are you going to find her, Sera? This place... It's enormous...'

An hour passed.

The only glimmers of red that had caught my eye were the faint sparks trapped within the frozen bodies of the betrayed, posed in their hideous forms with their clawed hands thrust forward, almost as if captured while screaming their agony to the one who imprisoned them.

Gelebor's expression was always pained when he saw them; the brightness always faded the smallest amount from his vivid eyes.

Hall after hall, room after room, and nothing.

"-How can you be certain that she is here, Nysteris?-" Gelebor asked softly.

"-I... I can't...-" It was becoming difficult for me to suppress my panic.

I could feel her presence. It was a longing, a yearning, a sweet desperation; an indescribable pull dragging on my soul, calling to me...

It was then that I began to stagger.  
The world around me began to warp and twist. My vision blurred and my head became as light as air, everything in my field of vision suddenly becoming drowned in a bright golden shimmer.  
A piercing roar suddenly pealed through the air around me, making the ground vibrate; Before it finished, it was joined by another, and a great thud rang from the high ceiling above as a great force bore down upon it.

It was the calling. Faire was fading away.

'NYSTERIS!'

I clenched my teeth hard as I pooled my strength, getting up from my knees on the frozen stone to turn around and look behind me as I heard Teldryn's voice, Gelebor rushing to my side as I faltered.

Through my blurred vision, I saw him; Running through the halls as time seemed to slow, panting for breath, a body lying limp in his arms.

A great cascade of silver-white hair flowed over his arm like liquid, moving with the rhythm of Teldryn's stride as he ran.  
She was dressed in a white fur robe, a pale golden tunic beneath it; the skin of her bare feet and hands was blindingly white, her face turned in to Teldryn's chest, obscuring it from my searching eyes. Leather straps bound her wrists, ankles and mouth.  
Her fingers were stained with dried blood.

A heavy, cold force squeezed my heart as I fell to my knees again.

Faire; It was Faire.

'Get up,' I heard Gelebor firmly order, speaking in common as he picked me up under the arms. 'She needs you. Get yourself together.'

I stared as though in a dream as Teldryn laid her on the icy stone before me.  
Her eyes were closed; Her cheeks were sunken, her fingernails shredded and bloody. Teldryn snatched my ebony dagger from its scabbard on my belt and quickly set about cutting the leather straps to free her lips and wrists, talking to me through desperate breaths as he worked.  
'Lay hands on her, Sera,' He urged me, throwing the severed straps aside as he moved down to her ankles. 'Before it's too late.'  
I slowly raised my arm and placed my hand on her neck; I could feel no pulse.  
I could hear the unearthly roars ringing out from the ceiling above me; fragments of ice began to shower down over us as the heavy blows continued.  
It took all of my strength to resist the pull of the calling. I watched Faire's face, strangely detached, as I summoned the healing spell and the golden light engulfed her, the ribbons of energy winding around her body; she remained so still. So lifeless.

'It's working.' I heard Teldryn's whisper as I felt his hand press against my back. His touch suddenly brought me back down to this plane, and my head cleared; Gelebor was kneeling at Faire's side, his gentle gaze set upon her and his fingers resting against her arm.

I felt a faint movement on her white neck beneath my hand.  
My heart leapt into my throat as I saw her move her head, and the disorienting nausea suddenly departed from me, The screams and thundering blows on the chantry ceiling suddenly falling silent.  
Her eyes opened.  
They were the most brilliant pale gold, her pupils a dark but bright orange; Long white lashes framed them, slowly parting to reveal her gaze as she stared into my own.  
A pang of joy and an indescribable wholeness suddenly overwhelmed me; A feeling I had not felt for one thousand years.  
Her long, white fingers slowly rose up to touch my face as her pale lips parted, and a quiet, soft voice I had not heard in an age emerged from it:  
"-Sister.-"  
A final, synchronous scream rang out from Voslaarum and Naaslaarum as they alighted on the chantry roof above us; The shattering blows had stopped, and all became still and full of peace.  
"-Sister.-" 


	31. Chapter 32: Avatars

A great calm had descended upon the chantry; The Heralds were kneeling on the stone floor, their fingers entwined and their foreheads  
touching, their eyes closed.  
They seemed to glow dimly in the pale blue of their surroundings; The silvery white and the blue-black of their hair mingled together as it  
fell over their shoulders. They were almost ethereal, two halves of a whole.

'I apologise for my manners. I should have introduced myself earlier. I am Knight Paladin Gelebor.'  
He stepped forward to introduce himself, a faint smile upon his face; I returned the gesture as I reciprocated. 'Teldryn Sero. It's an  
honour.'  
'Please,' he said gently, his distinguished voice echoing quietly through the vast hall. 'The honour is mine. Your guardianship of Nysteris  
has been of great value. I know that this environment cannot be easy to adapt to for a dunmer.'  
'I'm a mercenary. I merely do what I'm told. I'm not sure that she ever really needed my protection.' I smiled at him, extending my hand  
forward as he did the same, gripping my upper arm firmly as I grasped onto his. 'I wish I had a more noble and honourable reason to give  
you, but it is what it is, I'm afraid.'

'It seems that you've underestimated your importance.' His smile widened a little, his icy blue eyes lighting up. 'Your arrival at this place is  
every bit as expected as hers.'

I was confused by his comment, but I didn't pursue it. My mind was already racing from the events which had just unfolded; Talk of fate  
and purpose would have to wait until later.  
I looked down at the two crowns I was holding underneath my arm. They had been resting on the ornate stone shelf above the stone  
sarcophagus I had found Faire in; One of gold, bearing a flawless ruby at its center, two long, curved horns of polished moonstone  
protruding from its sides. The other was of ebony, A flawless sapphire adorning its front, the horns of gleaming quicksilver.  
Two long, ornate, silver spears had been in the sarcophagus next to Faire's lifeless body when I had found her; I'd quickly shoved them  
into my scabbard and the crowns into my pack when I'd found them, unsure of whether they bore any important magical qualities that we  
would need to bring Faire back from the brink of death.  
'These were with Faire when I found her,' I said hesitantly, extending them toward Gelebor as politely as I could manage. 'They look  
important. I honestly don't know what to do with them.'  
'Thank you.' Gelebor took them from me, frowning slightly as he beheld them, brushing off the remaining dust with his snow white fingers.  
I was feeling a little overwhelmed with the situation. Everything seemed alien to me. Nysteris and Faire had barely spoken a word since  
their reunion an hour ago, simply sitting with one another and basking in eachother's presence; what little words were spoken were in a  
language which I assumed to be Falmer, and I didn't understand any of it. From what I could gather, the twin dragons Nysteris had told  
me about were waiting on the roof for the Heralds to emerge. I could hear their low rumbles and hisses from high above me. To say it was  
putting me on edge was an understatement.  
'What will happen to them now?'  
I was surprised by the way the words sounded as they uttered from my lips. They sounded afraid, uncertain.  
'There is no way to know.' Gelebor stared at the twins as they stood up slowly, holding eachother's hands, their faces placid and radiant.  
Faire's huge golden eyes suddenly penetrated me, an expression of benevolence upon her face; a small, angelic smile appeared on her lips  
as she began to speak, her soft voice pealing through the air like bells. I couldn't understand what she was saying; Her language was that  
of her people, the Snow Elves.

I froze as she released Nysteris' hand and began to glide across the frozen stone toward me, her white hair billowing slightly behind her,  
her arms slowly rising to embrace me as she pressed her white lips against my own.  
A wave of shock rippled through me; I was completely stunned, unsure of what to do, my arms tensed awkwardly at my sides as I stared  
at Nysteris past the gleaming white mane of Faire's hair.  
To my surprise, Nysteris simply smiled at me, the same placid countenance upon her face as she began to walk toward me, placing her  
hands on my chest and resting her head on my shoulder, her blue black hair cascading over my arm.  
Faire broke the kiss and laid her head on my other shoulder as Nysteris spoke.  
'We will be forever in your debt, my love.'  
This was all becoming too surreal.  
My hands hovered nervously next to their waists as I stood there awkwardly before touching them both as gently and as respectfully as I  
could.  
'You're welcome,' I croaked.  
To my horror, I felt a ruch of arousal flow through me.  
I quickly removed my hands from their waists as I cleared my throat, trying to think of something to say to Gelebor to break the  
awkwardness.  
He simply stood there, his arms folded across his chest as he stared at me; I swore I saw the faintest smirk pass across his lips as I began  
to speak.  
'What of the dragons?'  
'They wait to meet their companions.' He nodded toward Nysteris and Faire, still lingering at my sides. 'It will be up to them to decide  
when that will be.'  
'Come on,' Nysteris said quietly, taking my right hand as Faire took the other. 'We've kept them waiting long enough.'

I walked as though in a dream as the Heralds led me to the great balcony, Gelebor quietly striding alongside us. A proud smile was firmly  
planted upon his face; This was a great moment for him, a legend of his kind made into reality.

The balcony was freezing. I gritted my teeth and squinted as I looked out at the view.

The entire vale was laid out before us, the massive, snow-capped mountains and deep frozen valleys stretching out as far as the eye could  
see; The forests of frozen trees swept across the landscape like a shimmering carpet.  
I had never seen anything like it before. My head spun; I felt the twins gently touching my back again as a familiar, low, rushing rumble  
began to echo in the air, becoming louder by the second.

I gasped as the two massive shapes exploded into view, red and blue scales glaring in the harsh winter sun. Their huge wings pushed great  
gusts of cold air toward us as they hovered in the air, their huge, flattened tails waving slowly to keep their balance.  
Long, horizontal spikes jutted from their crested heads and flowed down the entire length of their plated bodies; Their large, violet eyes  
and split pupils burned into us as their toothless, beaked mouths opened wide, and a deafening scream issued forth from them as they  
extended their terrible claws towards the balcony and landed, the ground shaking at their impact.  
'Aak hin aar, Dovahkiin.'  
They lowered their terrible heads, steam issuing in the cold air from the heat of their mouths as the dragon to the left of me began to speak.  
'Long have I waited for your return, Herald of War. Brit fahliil briinah. Dahmaan Naaslaarum.'  
Nysteris broke away from me as she slowly walked toward the dragon, her hand reaching out to touch him; She whispered as she stroked  
his head, words I could not make out.  
Faire also left my side as she made her way to the dragon on the right; It bowed its head further at her approach.  
'Kulaas do zin. At last we are bonded, child of Akatosh. Him aar Voslaarum.'

it was all too much. I could feel myself becoming faint.  
'This is a reverent moment,' Gelebor said to me, His eyes wide as they fixed upon the incredible scene unfolding before us. 'Nothing like it  
has happened in an age.'

The cold wind burned my skin; The voices around me faded to a hum as all around me became a blur. This was all too incredible; too  
unreal. Faire and Nysteris spoke soothingly to their avatars as I looked on, detached.  
How did I find myself in this situation? Is this what Nysteris really was? Why hadn't she minded when her sister had kissed me? I stood  
there in shock, trying to absorb it all as I wavered, Gelebor coming to stand by my side.  
'They will be with you now.' His voice was calm, factual. 'You hold the heart of Nysteris, and so you hold the heart of Faire. They are the  
same soul.'  
I felt like I was going to faint.  
'Come on,' I heard Gelebor say quietly as he looked at me, seeing my unstable state.' You need to rest. You'll be leaving soon.'


	32. Chapter 33: The last night

The breath of Naaslaarum rushed past my body in great gushes as I stood to face Teldryn and Gelebor.  
Teldryn's face was blank, his eyes wide; It was clear that he was struggling with what he had witnessed.  
My heart ached for him, and with it I felt Faire's heart ache as well.  
'_There is fear in him._' She smiled sadly at him, her hand resting gently on Voslaarum's neck. '_He is so noble._'

I felt her thoughts echo deep in my head as we both gazed at him, his breath fogging in the cold air, his dark fingers trembling ever so slightly at his sides.  
'_He is the one who brings us love and hope. The one who soothes our soul._' I replied to her silently, letting the gentle ripples of newfound power course through me as I sent her my thoughts.

The world had changed so quickly.

Here I stood at the skybound threshold of the inner sanctum, my balance restored, my beloved sister at my side and my avatar awaiting my command.  
Such power coursed through my veins, the likes of which I had never known before, not even at the height of my vampiric strength. But it was calm; it was controlled. For the first time since I could remember, I harboured no fear or trepidation, no sorrow or hesitation. I was whole, as I was made to be.

Gelebor watched on, his head held high, his pride and anticipation on display for all to witness. A modest smile graced his weathered face as he beheld us. It was likely that he had never expected to see such a thing as this during his lifetime, long and lonely as it had been, spent defending this desolate, abandoned shrine from the tragically stricken shades of his kin. There was hope in him; hope of great things yet to come. The dawn had broken, and the rays were spreading their healing light through his weary soul.

'May the light of Auri-El guide your path.' His eyes gleamed as he wished us farewell, walking toward us to give us our crowns. 'There is much hope for us yet.'  
Teldryn remained still as I took the crown from Gelebor, still mutely staring at us from across the balcony.

'_The skies will darken beneath the spread of our wings, and the masses will deafen at the sound of our thu'um._'

The deep, dark voice of Naaslaarum echoed within my head as he spoke to me; Faire became still as Voslaarum silently spoke his words to her.

'_The cry of The Heralds will strike terror into the hearts of those who who would stand against us; The Spirit of War will glide forth on a sea of her enemy's blood, and The Spirit of Reverence will blind the eyes of the unworthy with her fearsome grace._  
_We will herald the return of glory to our kin, and as we ascend to godhood like The Snow Prince before us, none will be fit to withstand our terrible might. We, the guardians of The Vale, will leave nought but bloody stains in our wake._'

I closed my eyes as I felt the words ripple through me like a wave of searing heat.

Yes. This is what we were born for. This was our purpose. I had never felt more fervent, more impassioned.

'Gelebor.' I spoke to him softly, still feeling the strength tingling through me as my words came forth. 'We will return here. There is much to be done.'  
He smiled triumphantly, the pride brimming over from his gaze.

'Teldryn.' Faire and I gently walked toward him, our expressions soft and benevolent. 'It's time to go home.'  
I took his shivering hand in my own as I gently led him toward Naaslaarum, the dragon's head lowered to the ground waiting for us to mount.

_'Ready yourself, Naaslaarum. This one comes with us.'_

'Marcurio, this is Faire. My sister.'

His eyes became wide and filled with confusion as he stared at us, his mouth ajar. After a few moments of stunned silence, he began to speak.

'Ah... Welcome, my lady. It's an honour to meet you... I never thought I'd have the pleasure.'

He took her hand and kissed it nervously as she smiled down at him, sharing the familiar feelings of benign affection from me which I bore for him. Her message rang softly in my mind. '_He is a lovely one.' _

_'He has been through much with us. He has suffered for us... Be gentle with him.'_

I heard Teldryn scoff quietly next to me; It was good to see him returning to his old self.

'Marcurio, would you show Faire around the manor and the lake? We'll be spending the night here. I'll explain everything to you later. Take the horses if you need to.'

'Of course.' I saw a faint blush pass across his cheeks as Faire excitedly took his hand, a bright smile beaming on her face. 'Show me the lake,' she said sweetly as she waited for him to lead the way, her eyes sparkling with eagerness.

'Now... You.' I turned to Teldryn, a small smirk on my face. 'I've got sujamma. Let's get drunk.'

A great sigh released from him as he slipped his arms around my waist, sliding a hand down to rest on my rear. 'Oh, sera. You read my mind.' He smiled gently as he pulled me toward him and gently kissed me on the lips. 'You have no idea how much I've needed a strong drink and some time alone with you.'

_'_I think I do.' I smiled as I leaned in to kiss him again, resting my hands upon his chest. 'I thought you were going to faint on the spot when you met Naaslaarum.'

'I think that the fact that I didn't is a testament to my manliness and strength of character. So is valiantly snatching beautiful snow elf princesses from the jaws of death.' He gave a sly grin. 'Where's that sujamma? I'm in no mood for teasing.'

He grabbed at my backside as we walked into the kitchen to get the bottles. 'I'm very impressed with you.' I smiled as I spoke to him. 'You're quite the hero.'

'You're only seeing this now?' He pouted comically, taking the bottle from me and pulling out the cork. 'You've already seen me slay a dragon.' A mischievous spark flared in his red eyes.

I laughed loudly. 'Oh, that was you, was it? How careless of me.' I necked the bottle as I turned and made my way up the stairs, heading for the doors that led to the patio outside and grabbing a plate of bread and cold meat as I left the kitchen. 'Come on. I want to watch Marcurio squirm as he tries to handle Faire.'

'Haha! how cruel.' He pushed the doors open for me as I went outside and put the food on the table, sitting on a low bench and staring out toward the lake. 'He already looks as though he might wet himself.'

'She'll be good.' I squinted and smiled as I saw the two of them standing down by the bank, Marcurio's gestures exaggerated and awkward as he showed her the lake and the forest surrounding it. 'She likes him.'

'Do you two speak to each other without words?' He drank from the bottle as he followed my gaze, a furrow in his brow as he stared at Faire, her back to us and her white hair glowing in the midday sun. 'She never makes a sound.'

'Yes. All the time.' I paused, thinking deeply about how things had changed. 'We never used to when we were young. There was something... but not like this. Something changed when I found her again in the chantry.' I smiled. 'It's beautiful.'

'Let's play a game.' He gave a wicked grin as he looked at me, his teeth gleaming and his eyes lighting up. 'I'm feeling troublesome.'

'What did you have in mind?' I was smiling just as widely as he was. I'd missed our playful moments, and I was sure that he had, too. Everything that had happened recently had been so trying, on such a grand scale. I needed to feel normal again. To feel joyous and mortal; Not like I was about to go and change the course of history.

'Tell her to touch his neck.'

I grinned as I looked at him, feeling my affection for him spread through me like a rush of warmth. 'You're evil.'

'You love it.' He winked at me, drinking the sujamma.

_'Sister. We're feeling playful. Put your hand on Marcurio's neck.'_

Faire turned slightly toward us, a grin on her face. _'To what end, sister?'_

_'To make him blush.'_

Teldryn almost squealed with glee as he watched Faire's hand slowly raise toward Marcurio. He began to stammer, a bright pink flourishing across his face as she stepped forward and made contact with his skin.

'Now tell her to say that she's never been with a human before.'

I smiled widely as I sent my thoughts to Faire. I knew it was cruel to toy with Marcurio after everything he'd endured, but I was enjoying myself too much.

I saw her slowly lean in to whisper in his ear, the smile still upon her lips.

Teldryn began laughing loudly as Marcurio dropped his bag and froze, standing perfectly still before muttering something and bending to pick it up again; Hid eyes quickly shot up to glare at Teldryn as he necked the bottle of sujamma and waved happily at him.

_'He blushed.'_

I laughed as Faire looked up at us, her smile widening and her eyes ablaze with mischief. _'I think he likes us.'_

She sat down by the shore of the lake, her arms wrapped around her knees with her back facing us as Marcurio gingerly sat down beside her.

_'This is a beautiful place. We would like to linger here.'_

_'This is our home now, sister. We may do as we please.'_

_'We should like to feel the warmth of our lover when the sun sets.'_

_'Yes. We shall.'_

'She is almost as lovely to look at as you are, sera.' Teldryn's hand touched my back comfortingly as I drank my sujamma and we both stared out over the lake. 'What did Gelebor mean when he told me that I held her heart? That you would both be with me now?'

I smiled again, looking at him as he stared into my eyes, a small furrow on his brow. 'What do you think he meant?'

'I have no idea. That's why I'm asking you.'

'Faire and I are two halves of the same soul. We're one person split into two mortal bodies.' I picked up a bit of meat from the platter between us and put it in my mouth as I spoke. 'While our physical experiences will be different, our hearts and minds are linked. She loves you like I do.'

His eyes widened and the smile dropped from his face. 'Are you serious?'

'Of course I am. Why do you think she kissed you in the chantry?'

'I just thought she was grateful that I'd found her.' He looked confused, troubled; He remained quiet for a long time.

'What would you have me do? I'm only one man...'

'We are both yours. I am her and she is me. I'd expect you'd be happy to have the affections of two lovely ladies.'

'But... my heart belongs to you.'

I turned and smiled at him gently as he moved the stray hairs away from my face with his fingers. 'Then it belongs to her as well. You will see in time that we are not so different.'

'Forgive me, my dear. The last few days have taken their toll on my mind.' He kissed me gently as he spoke. 'I may need some time to adjust. It's hard for a man to hear that he now bears the affections of two beautiful women without risking the removal of his delicates.'

I laughed. 'We will win you over. Sooner than you'd think.'


	33. Chapter 34: Muddle-Headed

The sun was beginning to set over the lake.  
The dark orange glow on the horizon was slowly fading behind the black outline of the mountains. Golden light reflected from the surface of the lake, as smooth as a pane of glass; Cicadas sang and torch bugs danced around the wall sconces as the sweet smell of earth and forest moss fragranced the warm evening air.

I sat on the patio, slightly drunk, nursing my Sujamma and eating bits of meat and bread as I watched Faire and Nysteris training down by the shore.  
They had been at it for hours, and I had sat here enraptured the whole time. They twittered and laughed like girls as they twirled their silver spears above their heads, thrusting and parrying, their black and white hair fanning about them as they sparred.  
They seemed so young and vibrant; so full of life and joy.  
One might have believed that was all they were, were it not for their unusual appearance and the circle of fall out damage which surrounded them as they played.  
Over the last two hours, I had seen them summon an ancient frost atronach, use it as target practice for their dragon shouts, exchange spell techniques, shoot birds from the sky with their arrows, and use those same dragon shouts to render themselves intangible.  
I had involuntarily gasped in surprise as I had watched them from a distance, the frost atronach waiting obediently as they had circled it like hungry sabre cats; then, without warning, their shouts cracked through the air like thunderclaps, one after the other. Nysteris had knocked the atronach back a fair distance with her shout; Faire had drowned it in a gout of flame only seconds later with hers.  
Now, they tumbled on the grass and giggled, picking flowers and swiping at torch bugs.  
It was a horribly confusing thing to behold; the split tree trunk and charred grass, the pool of ice slurry where the atronach had been, and these two elves, their white skin glowing in the dusk around them, smiling sweetly as they laid on the shore of the lake and raked their fingers through each other's hair, combing out the leaves and twigs.

I watched on as they both stood up and began undoing their clothes to go swimming in the cool water.  
They knew I could see them; they did not seem to mind as they let their tunics drop to the ground around their ankles.  
They slowly walked toward the lake, their long hair not quite long enough to preserve their modesty; they looked glorious, like two alabaster statues brought to life.  
'Oh. Ahem.'  
Marcurio suddenly appeared on the patio next to me, a flagon of mead in his hand, his eyes wide as he caught glimpse of the twins in all their naked glory before they submerged themselves in the water. He looked away, mildly embarrassed.  
'Just a moment too late, serjo.' I grinned at him, kicking out a chair for him with my foot. 'Now we'll have to wait until they get out.'  
He grinned widely. 'Show some respect.' I drank from my bottle as he drank from his flagon. 'No wonder you've been out here all day.'

'Teldryn!' Nysteris' voice chimed through the air as she called out to me from the water.  
'Come in with us!' Faire's voice was slightly softer than her sister's; it was the only way I could tell the difference.  
They giggled again, looking up at me to see if I was coming.  
'No. Absolutely not. Dunmer are terrible swimmers. Especially while drunk.' I smiled broadly, necking the bottle again.

'You've been busy since I saw you last.' Marcurio smiled as he sat down, his brown robes ruffling quietly.

'Oh. You have no idea.' I shook my head and drank from the bottle again, still staring out at the lake. I watched as an owl flew silently overhead. 'It's been indescribably... enlightening.'

'She's herself again.' His expression became one of a man freed from a great burden; his whole demeanour had changed, his eyes bright again, his body relaxed.

'More so than ever before. I never knew how much of her had been missing until now.'

'It's incredible, isn't it? The Vale.' He drank the mead, his eyes staring out over the lake. 'I was there with her and Serana when we killed Vyrthur to get Auriel's Bow.'

I was surprised. I'd never thought of him as a warrior, even though I knew Nysteris had hired him as a mercenary. She had told me about Serana before; The vampire she'd inadvertently rescued from a strange coffin in a strange cave. The daughter of Lord Harkon.

'I've never seen anything like it,' I murmured, my mind drifting back to Gelebor and the frozen Chantry. 'I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I arrived. And those dragons... Hideous.'

'You met them?' He looked surprised, turning his face toward me as he spoke. 'I thought they were dead.'

'They were.' I paused, thinking of the moment I'd opened the coffin and seen Faire lying there, emaciated and bound, her fingers covered in blood. 'Until Nysteris and Faire were brought back to life.' I looked at him, raising an eyebrow as I lifted the sujamma to my lips. 'We rode them here, you know.'

'Gods... That must have been incredible.' His eyes became wide as he whispered.

'That's one word for it.' I smiled, passing him my bottle. 'Try this. It's better than that swill you're drinking.'

He scoffed, taking the sujamma. 'Dark Elf brew? Good if you like a mouthful of ash.'

'Aha,' I laughed. 'Don't judge too quickly, Imperial.'

I saw his eyebrows raise as he tasted it, a look of pleasant surprise on his face. 'That's.. actually not that bad.'

'I told you.' I smiled, uncorking a new bottle and handing it to him as I took the old one. 'Dunmer do everything better.'

He smiled, his auburn ponytail falling over his shoulder to his front. 'Nysteris certainly seems to think so.'

I paused at his words, thinking of how to respond. He didn't seem bitter. Maybe he had been freed of his affection for her once she had found life again; The spell of the thrall had been broken.

'Well... I do what I can.' I gave him a sly grin and a wink as I took a drink.

He laughed out loud, shaking his head. 'I can see why she likes you.' He took out a long, thin pipe from his robes, packing the tip with his thumb before leaning over to light it from the sconce on the table. A cloud of fragranced smoke billowed in the air as he exhaled, his voice smooth and calm. 'It shouldn't be too hard for you to win Faire over as well.' He passed me the pipe as he sighed softly, sinking into his chair.

I took a long draw on the pipe as I looked up at the moons, their faint outline painted upon the sky like gossamer. The taste of it was earthy and herbal; the smoke burned my throat slightly as I breathed it in. 'They aren't so different.' I exhaled slowly, the smoke curling in the air like a drop of blood in water. 'She likes you well enough.'

We both sat there in peaceful silence, looking up at the stars as the night time insects sang their chorus and the moths fluttered around the flames of the sconces. A deep relaxation slowly grew in my chest and radiated out to my arms and legs; My head became light as I too sank in my chair and released a contented sigh. 'Azura,' I said lazily, passing him the pipe. 'I do like your blend.'

'I made it myself.' He took another draw, blowing rings of smoke into the air with short puffs. 'The benefits of alchemy.'

'Maybe I'll become an alchemist then.' I smiled slowly as I took another drink of sujamma. 'The sky is melting.'

He smiled, a humorous smirk upon his face. 'Wait until you see Shadowmere.' He paused, tapping the ash from the pipe. 'You're going to find Alduin tomorrow?'

'Yes.' I paused for a long moment, my head spinning pleasantly as I listened to the sound of the gentle wind passing through the trees. 'I'm not sure why. They don't seem to need any backup.'

'I'm coming too.'

I turned my head toward him and smiled, taking the pipe as he handed it to me. 'Ah,' I said, grinning slowly. 'I look forward to it. Nysteris has told me all about your formidable skills.'

'I can't wait. It's been too long. I'm going crazy pent up in this place.'

I could see the twins down by the lakeside, their tunics on. Their white skin almost glowed in the dark as they stood there, smiling and laughing, Faire's head almost resting on Nysteris' shoulder. I took another long drag on the pipe as I watched them before handing it back to Marcurio.

I went to stand up, the world swirling around me for a moment as I balanced myself. 'I think I'll go and say hello.' The words seemed comical and childish; I was too pleasantly addled to be ashamed. 'Are you coming, serjo?'

'I think I'll stay here for a while.' Another plume of smoke emerged from his lips as he sat there, gazing out into the night with his bottle of sujamma. 'It's a beautiful night to sit and ponder.'

'Ah. Suit yourself.' I waved my hand languidly at him as he grinned at me, raising the jar to his lips again.

The twins were already making their way toward me, carrying their spears as they walked up the hill. I smiled broadly and spread my arms open wide.

'Good evening, ladies! Please, stay your weapons. I come in peace.'

They beamed and gently glided into my arms, their faces resting on my collarbones underneath my chin. 'You're muddle-headed.' I could hear the smile in Nysteris' voice as she spoke.

'Do we need to carry him back to the manor?' Faire's soft voice chimed in the air, the sweet smile on her lips widening as she looked up at me, strands of silvery white hair across her face.

'Please forgive me, sera.' I smiled down at her, my hand resting on her waist. 'What a disgraceful display of impropriety in the presence of a fair maiden.' She beamed a beautiful, joyous smile back up at me, her white hand resting on my chest. 'Oh, Azura.' I looked at them both with my arms around them and their hands upon me as my head swam pleasantly. 'I wish Geldis were here to see this.'

They laughed, the sound of it like pealing bells; I floated in a cloud of bliss as they took my hands and led me back to the manor. I caught Marcurio's gaze as I passed, his wide, sarcastic grin speaking volumes as he raised his hand in a polite gesture.

'Have a pleasant night, Teldryn.'

I gave him a beaming smile, showing my teeth. 'Oh, I will, serjo.'


	34. Chapter 35: Be Merciful

My head spun pleasantly as I laid in the bed, staring at the canopy above me. My whole body tingled; the warm air of the room felt exquisite against the skin on my bare chest and the glow of the candles danced on the walls. They seemed to be alive, flitting from one spot to another to escape the darkness.  
I wore a stupid grin upon my face. Marcurio certainly knew how to concoct a good herbal pipe. Sneaky steward.

I knew that tomorrow would be full of the epic wars, battles and revelations I had been hesitantly anticipating for so long. We would ride into Skuldafn upon the backs of dragons, and I would behold the heralds in all of their terrible power.

But at this moment, I was just a man, high on the affections of two beautiful women and a good pipe. I knew that things would never be the same again after tomorrow; Faire and Nysteris could die; Marcurio and I could die. Even if we didn't, what would happen then? Where would the twins go? Would they return to the chantry? The future was a great and foreboding unknown. It put me slightly on edge to think about it; so I decided not to. I closed my eyes and let myself float away, breathing in the warmth and comfort surrounding me.

I smiled as click of the door closing roused me from my cloud of contentment.

'Hello, sera. I was just now imagining all of the things I'm going to do to you before the sun rises. Before I watch you and your lovely sister rip the soul out of the world eater, and I'll be too frightened to push my advances upon you in case you blow me away with your terrible voice.' I smiled mischievously, my eyes still closed as I bathed in the warm glow of the herbal pipe.

I heard a small twittering laugh, muffled by a hand.

A wave of startled embarrassment blazed in my chest as I sat up on the bed to see Faire standing by the door, her big golden eyes fixed upon me and a faint pink blush upon her snow white cheeks as she held her hand over her mouth.

'Oh... Dear.' A hot blush of shame stung my cheeks as I stared at her, her long white ears protruding from beneath her mane of shining hair. 'Please, Faire... Forgive me. I would never intend to speak such things to you. I thought...'  
'You thought I was Nysteris.' She gave me a cheeky grin, her hand falling from her mouth as she walked over to the bed, the silhouette of her body becoming visible through the cloth of her pale yellow tunic as she passed the candles.  
I swallowed hard as she gently sat on the bed next to me, her long white lashes gleaming in the candle light as she passed her eyes over my chest and arms.  
'I've been waiting for a chance to be alone with you.'  
Her cool hand touched my bicep as her eyes continued to travel over me.

I recoiled ever so slightly at her touch, and she looked up into my eyes. A sea of confusion welled up within me as I tried to make peace with what was happening.  
'I... I'm sorry, Faire... I just... This is hard for me to adjust to.' I took her delicate hand in my own, smiling at her ruefully as I moved her hair away from her face. 'I know who you are... I know that you and Nysteris share the same soul. But it feels like we've only just met.'  
She smiled up at me, a shimmer in her eyes; and for a split second, I saw it. I saw Nysteris, but the vivid blue eyes were golden, the black hair was white. I saw the same spark, the same familiar spirit.

'I know you.' Her voice was impossibly sweet and calm as her fingers wrapped around my own. 'I dreamed of you as I lay in my coffin in the chantry after Nysteris returned my life; I knew you when you rescued me from it and carried me to her in your arms.'  
A fire suddenly lit in my chest, and a feeling of strange familiarity flourished in my mind again; She felt like Nysteris. I couldn't describe the feeling; it was so beautifully strange.

'I felt it when she fell in love with you in Morthal; my body sang when you embraced her in Whiterun.'

I couldn't think of anything to say; I was consumed with this strange sensation of déjà vu, the feeling that I knew her as she said she knew me.

'And I have waited a lifetime to feel your touch.' Her voice trembled ever so slightly as she spoke, her fingers winding tighter around my own.

I felt it then; the love I bore for Nysteris. It was as if she were there before me. They could feel eachother's emotions, whisper in eachother's minds. I was speaking to Nysteris as I whispered to Faire; as bizarre as it was, I found myself excited.

'My dear...' I murmured in her ear, gently moving her hair again with my fingers as I drew her closer to me, her lips only a breath away from mine. 'I could never resist you before, and I can't resist you now.'

She sighed and became limp as I gently guided her chin upward and kissed her; the telltale signs I so eagerly looked for in Nysteris.  
Faire's hand travelled up my arm with a gentle urgency; I held her tighter and ran my tongue across her lip as I kissed her, a soft, pleading sigh escaping from her.  
My fire had been lit. My pants were already uncomfortably tight.  
But this was not the time to rush. As much as I felt that I'd done this before, Faire was pure and innocent. She had not roamed the land for centuries like Nysteris had. There was every chance that this was the first time she had ever experienced an intimate touch.  
'Are you sure that this is what you want, sera?' I gently kissed her neck as her hands slid down my back.  
'I've never been more sure of anything.' She hungrily met my kiss again as I felt her laboured breath, her nails scraping against my skin. 'Please...'

I gently broke away from her and picked up the edges of her tunic, slowly lifting it above her head.  
She raised her arms and her hair fell about her as I removed it, gently dropping it over the edge of the bed onto the floor.  
She sat on the bed naked, her arms crossed over her breasts as her huge eyes looked up into mine, the blush of her desire on her cheeks and neck as she showed her nervousness.

'You're so lovely.' I kissed her again, embracing her in my arms to reassure her. 'I don't want to frighten you. This should be an act of bliss.'

Her arms unfolded and wrapped around me, and I felt her nipples brush against my bare chest. I heard her breathe in deeply as I gently brought my right hand around to her front and ran my fingers over one of them as I gently bit her ear.  
She began to pant as I trailed the tip of my tongue down the side of her neck all the way down to her breast, enclosing my lips around her nipple and catching it tenderly between my teeth as I moved my tongue across it. My left hand slowly slid down her back to rest on her buttocks as I felt her fingernails dig into my shoulders, and I exhaled deeply at the feeling of it, breathing hot air onto her skin.

'This is everything I had imagined.'

I smiled, feeling my stiffness strain against my trousers as my desire continued to build. 'We've only just begun, my love.'

She whispered something in Falmer as she closed her eyes and I sat up, placing a forearm behind her neck and another one underneath her buttocks as I laid her gently down on the bed, leaning over her and kissing her mouth as my hand trailed down her belly toward her patch of soft, silver white hair.  
I sighed quietly as I touched her wetness and she gasped, arching her back toward me; a flare of heat and dominance rushed through me as I watched her writhe, then quickly took my fingers away.  
She opened her eyes and looked up at me, her cheeks red and her breath heavy.  
I leaned forward to kiss her again, pressing my covered hardness against her moist heat as I did so.

'Does this please you, sera?' I growled in her ear.  
She moaned softly, trailing her fingers down my back to slide them under my belt.  
'We aren't there yet, my dear.' I grinned to myself as I purred to her, nipping the tip of her ear again with my bared teeth. 'I want to see you finish first.'  
I slowly slid down, gently opening her legs as she wriggled underneath me. I ran a finger down the length of her wetness before delicately parting her glistening folds.

'Teldryn... What are you...'  
She gasped and cried out softly, her nails digging into my bicep as my tongue touched her wetness. The taste of her filled my mouth as I moved slowly upward until I found her firm little button; she stiffened and gasped as I gently caressed it, sliding my tongue carefully across its surface before I placed my lips around it and applied the gentlest pressure I could manage.  
Her breasts heaved as her breaths became shallow and rapid; I began to feel a strong ache between my legs as I moved my tongue against her, my restraint beginning to wear thin.  
I took my lips off her for a moment, moving down to taste her entrance, her wetness on my lips. I was becoming fevered and wild as she gripped my hair, pushing against my head as she gently bucked her hips and cried out softly, her peak rapidly approaching.  
It was then that I slid my tongue down to her most intimate part, and as I almost pushed inside of her, I felt it: her virgin skin.  
I released a great sigh as something inside of me gave out.  
That old stumbling block I had struggled with before I had taken Nysteris for the first time after her resurrection.  
I loved Nysteris. She was the one who made my heart soar with her touch, her glance her smile; she was mine.  
But I had to bargain with my conscience to even get this far with Faire. Her virginity...  
I pressed my tongue against her hot wetness and licked her firmly in one long smooth movement all the way up to her peak, then pressed my lips around her sensitivity and began sucking hard.  
She cried out, one hand gripping my hair while the other grasped at the bedsheets and her legs closed around my shoulders as she stiffened. She bucked against me strongly as I eased the pressure on her and slowly coaxed her back down to earth, waiting until she became still before removing my mouth from her and gently rising up to lay next to her side, wrapping her in my arms as she closed her eyes.  
She was quiet for the longest time after I gently pulled the blankets up to cover her, kissing her forehead gently.  
I was still unbelievably hard. I ached intensely. I had to grit my teeth to control myself as she turned to rest her face against my chest and her leg brushed against my manhood. This was torture.

'You didn't...' Her voice trailed off gently as she nestled into my chest, still swooning from her climax.

I kissed her hair, trying to ignore the powerful ache in my loins. 'Don't worry about that, sera.' I wanted to scream on the inside. 'It's enough for me that you're satisfied.'  
I slowly stroked her smooth skin as she faded into sleep, her beautiful face still glowing with the faintest pink blush.

It took some time before I was sure enough that Faire was asleep before I removed myself from her embrace as gently and carefully as I could, tiptoeing out into the main hall, still aching with an obvious protrusion in my trousers.  
'Nysteris!' I whispered loudly.

She suddenly appeared out of nowhere like a whirlwind, grabbing my wrist and pushing me against the wall. I gasped in shock, a rush of fear flowing through me; I was confused to see a lazy smile upon her face and half-lidded eyes, a familiar pink blush on her cheeks.  
'You're stupid. You know that, don't you?'  
'Nysteris, you're freaking me out.' I stared at her wide eyed, not knowing what to do.  
'You should have taken her. She was desperate for it. I should know.'  
She suddenly grabbed my belt and roughly pulled it open, pushing my trousers down to reveal my hardness.  
I grinned wickedly as she dropped to her knees, taking me in her hands as she looked up at me and licked her lips.  
'I'm a pathetic wretch.' I gently grabbed a handful of her hair. 'Be merciful.'


	35. Chapter 36: To Skuldafn

The sky was dark. The cold wind blew across the lake, rippling the water as it gently hissed through the tall black shadows of the trees.

I could feel it in the air; it was electric. The foreboding; the presence of power and the manifestation of fate. The heavens were preparing. The dim light of dawn began to break over the mountains as it heralded the hour of our coming.

I felt Faire's spirit leap out at me as she stood there, staring out over the dark water, so still that she appeared lifeless.  
'_We are ready, sister._'  
She glowed in the dim dawn light, her long white hair softly blowing about her as she slowly closed her eyes, basking in the dark and ancient calling.

The long, slender horns of her crown curved up and over her head, their sharp points gleaming as they captured the first rays of the sun on their tips. The golden metal reached down and framed her face; the ruby on her forehead shone dimly as she turned to face me, and I saw that her eyes were glowing with an incandescent gold light, her iris and pupil completely obscured by it.  
The white fur lining her intricate white cuirass came all the way up to her chin. The only parts of her skin that were visible were her face and her pale fingers, gripping her silver spear; the rest of her was obscured beneath the androgynous armour set that Gelebor had given to her before she had left the Sanctum on the back of Voslaarum.  
I looked down at my own armour, feeling the black fur lining it tickle my neck as I did. It was as black as midnight; the cloth was of a deep, dark blue, the trimmings as black as the rest of it, the decorative stones on my hips holding it up on a woven silk cord. The crown on my head kept the hair from blowing in my face as I felt the quiet, controlled strength of the powerful enchantments rippling across my skin.  
I gripped the spear tightly in my left hand as I remembered Gelebor's words.  
'_This crown and cuirass have served you over many lifetimes; they've protected you when you were close to death, whether you were man or woman. May they serve you now as you go forth to your purpose_.'  
It was a strange and confusing thought. The idea that I had been doing this for aeons; that I had been a hero of the Ice Elves. For so long I'd been aimlessly drifting through the world. It was overwhelming; but so indescribably... familiar.

'Niss.'  
I heard the clinking of Teldryn's armour as he and Marcurio jogged up to us from the house. 'I hope we didn't keep... You... Waiting...'

Faire and I turned to look at him as he slowed down.  
He stared at us in mild shock, his red eyes wide as the faded red cloth beneath his chitin armour ruffled in the cold breeze.  
Faire's eyes blazed with an ethereal glow as she stared at him, the light reflecting from her golden crown. Judging from the faces of Teldryn and Marcurio, mine were doing the same.  
I watched their startled gaze flit from my horned crown to my eyes, then to the Herald's Armour and the silver spear.  
'By the divines.' Marcurio's voice was a fearful whisper, his mouth slightly open as he spoke. 'You... You're both...'

'It's time.' Faire's voice was firm and strong; unlike the wistful chime I had come to know.  
I watched Teldryn slowly and warily put his chitin helmet on his head as I spoke to him, feeling the quiet power begin to build within me. 'I hope you're ready,' I said to him. 'There is no turning back now.'

'I am.' His voice was a low rumble as he braced himself for what he knew was coming next. 'Go ahead, sera.'

Faire and I turned, the wind growing stronger; I felt the voice gathering, erupting in my chest as I prepared.

'What's happening?' I heard Marcurio's harsh whisper to Teldryn. 'What are they doing? I don't...'

'Patience, serjo. You'll see. Block your ears.'

'_Call them_.' I whispered the words into Faire's mind as I saw her clench her teeth, a small snarl upon her face as she opened her mouth.

'SLARAA!'

The deafening sound of the shouts cracked through the air like thunder as the darkness lit up for a split second like a flash of lightning; I heard a gasp of shock from Marcurio as Teldryn winced slightly, his face concealed beneath his helmet.

I felt it then; the deep pull in my mind. Naslaarum had heard my call. He was on his way.  
I was surprised to feel the strength I had spent on calling him rapidly returning to me. I realised then that it was the enchantments on the armour and crown - my thu'um was restored after only a few moments.  
This was good; very good. I smiled viciously. '_Do you feel it, sister?_'  
'_Yes_.'  
I could feel her eagerness just as acutely as I could feel my own. The time grew ever closer. We hungered for it.

The quiet, low rumble of great wings began to build in my ears. A low, threatening hiss.  
I narrowed my eyes as I saw the two massive, dark shapes emerge from the clouds over the mountains.

'Well, here's what you've been waiting for. You might want to clear some room.' Teldryn's voice was dry as he spoke to Marcurio.  
'That's them? The revered dragons of The Vale?' His voice was high pitched, excited.

A piercing roar echoed through the sky as Voslaarum and Naslaarum crossed over eachother in the air, their massive wings beating hard as they hovered in the air to land; the force of the wind blew the dirt up in clouds and rushed through the leaves as their claws crashed into the ground.  
I smiled at Naslaarum as he raised his head and hissed, turning his eye toward me. 'You are ready, Herald of War.'  
I felt a rush of bloodlust shiver through me as I beheld his terrifying appearance. 'We are ready.' I turned the men as they stood a small distance away, Marcurio staring on in amazement.  
'Alduin is waiting. Let's go. Teldryn, you're coming with me.' I grasped onto Naslaarum's long spines, hoisting myself up onto his neck.  
Teldryn dutifully followed as a small, almost inaudible sigh came from beneath his helmet.  
'Marcurio.' Faire's voice was authoritative and blunt as she commanded him, standing by Voslaarum's side, her eyes glowing as she stood there in silence.  
He swallowed hard.  
'Come on, wizard. You only live once.' Even now, Teldryn couldn't resist the chance to taunt, despite his own aversion to flying.  
'I know.' Marcurio gingerly stepped toward the dragon as Faire mounted it, gripping Voslaarum's horns as she swung her armoured leg over; he gasped as she grabbed his hand and pulled him up.  
I heard Teldryn scoff, his strong arms snaking around my waist.  
I gritted my teeth, feeling the simmering battle lust and power building in my chest again; I kicked Naslaarum's side as I commanded him harshly.  
'To Skuldafn.'  
I felt Teldryn squeeze me tighter as the great wings spread behind us and a low rumbling hiss emerged from our mount; with one huge forceful rush, we were airborne.

'_To bring Alduin his death_.'


	36. Chapter 37: Battle

I could feel it; a darkness. A deep, festering premonition of fear and change. A shifting of the sands; as if the gods themselves were watching with bated breath to witness the culmination of a great prophecy.

Terrible things were going to happen in this place.

I felt myself scowl as the first rocky precipices of Skuldafn emerged from the heavy clouds. I squinted as the tiny ice crystals forming on the glass oculars of my helmet blurred my vision, and the shrieking, frigid wind rushed past my head. I gripped onto Nysteris' armoured waist as Naslaarum dipped and rose in the air, his massive wings moving slowly as he soared, his deep, guttural growls vibrating forcefully through my body.

Nysteris' black hair whipped around me in the strong wind, lashing at my neck and shoulders. The long, silver horns of her ebony crown seemed to grow from her head; she held her spear pointed down toward Naslaarum's tail as she held tightly onto his long horizontal spines, occasionally kicking him and pulling hard upon him to lead his path.

For the most fleeting of moments, I remembered her in all of her rarely seen sweetness.  
The first time I'd seen her smile in Solstheim; the way she had stood so shyly in the snow and was too nervous to meet my gaze on the first night she had given me her body, even though she had invited me.  
The way she weakened when our lips met and she melted into my arms.  
The first sight of her living blue eyes; her chiming laugh.  
The way that she had looked at me when she had told me that I held her heart.

All of that seemed so far away now.

The creature that I held in my arms at this moment was not a princess. Nor had she ever been; She was a warrior. A weapon. The dark side of a strange dichotomy, representing the essence of battle itself; a highly refined and specialised trump card bearing thousands of years and many lifetimes of experience, a servant and a saviour to her lost kind.  
I had known what she was for some time; but to see her as she was now, the Herald of War in all her horror and glory, borne on the back of a sacred dragon, brought a new and sobering kind of reality along with it.  
The armour she wore glowed between its plates with a dark blue light, the mail of it of a style I had not seen before. She seemed neither male nor female; but something undefinable.  
I wondered for a moment how her sister would fare. Nysteris had experience and a lust for bloodshed; Faire was altogether more fragile. It would be Nysteris who would steer the course of this battle.

A huge roar suddenly ripped through the sky as Faire and Voslaarum rose up next to us in the air, Marcurio clinging onto Faire as he stared ahead of him, a look of grim determination on his face; it was as I followed his gaze that I saw it, and I felt the fear momentarily pierce me.

Two massive dragons perched upon the frozen stone arches before us.

They crouched and spread their immense wings as they prepared to rise up, the tarnished copper-gold of their scales contrasting sharply with the white and grey landscape around them. Each one of them was easily twice the size of Naslaarum.

As they parted their huge jaws to roar as they rose up into the air, Naslaarum released a deafening roar of his own, rearing in frenzied anticipation as he saw them; his head tossed as Nysteris pulled hard upon his spines, shouting orders to him in the Falmer language. The hiss of the wind past my head made it hard to concentrate. I watched in horror as both of the elder dragons suddenly turned in the air and headed for Voslaarum and Faire.

Nysteris twirled her spear in her hand to bring the head forward as she sharply pulled his horns to the left, and I held on for dear life as the dragon tilted in the air beneath us, soaring down to reach Faire before the enemy did; I looked on in amazement as Voslaarum released a huge rush of fire from his mouth and Faire unleashed an explosive shout, knocking the elder dragon back in the air as it roared in anger.  
As Voslaarum quickly dove downward with astonishing agility, we raced in, tilting even further on our sides as Naslaarum opened his jaws and took a great chunk out of the elder dragon's neck, and Nysteris roared as she brutally thrust her silver spear into its eye, pulling it out again with vicious force as the blood and fluid spurted over us.  
My stomach churned and my ears rang as the dragon screamed and we soared straight up into the air, my feet losing their hold on Naslaarum's back as we continued our vertical climb. I felt Nysteris' iron grip grab my wrist as we suddenly began to dive again, twisting in the air to nose dive toward the second elder as Naslaarum began to manifest his thu'um.

'Teldryn!' Her voice rang out harshly as her blazing eyes burned into me, a snarl on her face and dragon blood spattered on her black armour. She pulled me up as she spoke and I grabbed her again, winding my feet underneath Naslaarum's neck spines as I secured my hold. 'Do you see them? On the ground!'

I looked down at the ancient structures of Skuldafn as my heart pounded in my chest, my breathing becoming heavy and rapid.

I saw them; draugr. At least five, lined up on the edge of the stone platform, their arms braced by their sides and their weapons in hand as they opened their rotted mouths beneath their tarnished helmets and released their dragon shouts toward us. The blue glow rippled through the air before fading out far before it reached us.  
Death Lords.

'Yes!' I shouted at her over the screaming hiss of the wind. I knew what she wanted me to do.  
'Prepare yourself,' she yelled as she steered Naslaarum towards them as he released a great blue ball of translucent blue force at the death lords, another one rushing past is and striking them as Voslaarum swooped down beside us with Faire and Marcurio on his back.  
I gritted my teeth and braced myself as we soared toward the ground, so close that I could have sworn we would crash into the massive stones.  
'Now!'  
I leaped from the dragon's back as it arched its neck upwards and began its ascent, the clawed tips of its wings scraping against the rock as it rushed toward the sky.

I grunted as I hit the ground in a roll, concentrating my strength into my left hand as I summoned the atronach.  
The death lords had prepared for me.  
It glared at me through glowing dead eyes, its matted hair hanging around its decayed face beneath its horned helmet as it repeatedly smashed its sword against its shield, rallying its kin.

_"Vul fahliil! Qolaas sos daanik!"_

'Come on,' I hissed, the atronach emerging from the swirl behind me. I felt the excitement and rage of battle rise within me as I drew my sword. 'You vile carcass. Show me what you've got!'

A massive bolt of lightning shot past me and struck it in the chest as I looked on in surprise and the flame atronach began to throw its fire.

'I hope you weren't talking to me.'  
Marcurio sidled up next to me, crouched in a battle stance and with a glowing veneer all over the surface of his skin and robes.  
'Very impressive, serjo,' I grinned at him as I turned to face the death lords again. 'Keep that up and this could even be fun.'  
As I clashed swords with the angry draugr, I saw an epic sight from the edge of my vision; the Heralds, twisting in the air upon their avatars like snakes, the burning corpse of the elder dragon falling from the sky as the blinding ribbons of light from its soul rushed toward the riders, even as their mounts continued to roar and the thunderclaps of their shouts continued to crack through the air as they targeted the remaining elder.  
I had been wrong to doubt them when I had first seen that terrible sight when we had approached Skuldafn.  
Voslaarum and Naslaarum were more manoeuvrable and agile than I could have ever believed possible. Their smaller stature was no impediment whatsoever to their efficacy. And so fierce...

I shouted out in anger as the death lord's sword came down upon my arm as I was distracted by the sight before me.  
'Pay attention!' Marcurio yelled as he unleashed more lightning upon the group of undead corpses.

I gritted my teeth as I charged forward with my sword raised high.


	37. Chapter 38: Making Memories

Voslaarum and Naslaarum rumbled and hissed as they roosted on the great stone arches above our heads, smoke leaking from their jaws and their scales slick with blood. Some of it was their own; Voslaarum wore a deep gash along his flank, Naslaarum bearing large open wounds from two missing scales, and some broken spines.  
But the bare bones of the dragons they had destroyed with us lay scattered and steaming in the frigid air on the ground at our feet.  
It was a testament to their ferocity and power. No less than five dragons had risen to defend Alduin at his last bastion; all of them had fallen.

The skin of my face was torn and bloody. A long laceration streaked from my forehead down to my right cheek, the gore stinging my eyes. My hair and armour was wet with dragon blood. Faire was spattered with it from head to toe, her white hair matted and stained, her armour blackened with soot and sulphur.

Teldryn and Marcurio had fought viciously. Were it not for their restoration magic, they would undoubtedly have died. I had watched in terror and excitement as Teldryn had saved Marcurio's life after the Mage had run dry of magicka; The Dark Elf's blade had ran through the death lord's chest as he shoved himself between it and Marcurio, an angry roar issuing from him as the draugr champion had buried its frost-cursed blade into his shoulder.  
Marcurio himself had more than laid to rest any suspicions that his prolonged absence from battle had dulled his talent for destruction. The skies had lit up with his lightning and fire, the draugr screaming in their choked, dead voices as the flames had consumed them.

The temple had thrilled me. The others had patiently waited, tending to their battle wounds as I revelled in my love of stealth killing, creeping through the echoing halls of stone and picking off the draugr one by one. It had been too long since I had done it last. The rush of playing the predator had been an intoxicating drug.  
But now, as we stood at the threshold of the entrance to Sovngarde, the smouldering ashes of the dragon priest Nahkriin glowing at our feet, emotions of a different kind engulfed me.  
Fear; doubt; trepidation; painful love.

Faire and Marcurio leaned on eachother as they sat, resting against a stone pillar and sharing potions; I felt the troubling emotions well up within me as Teldryn approached, reaching up to remove his chitin helmet as he came to stand before me.  
He breathed heavily as he turned his face and roughly spat blood on the ground next to his feet, wiping his mouth with his gauntlet. He looked down at me, still panting, a sarcastic grin on his parted lips and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.  
'You're really making sure that you're getting your money's worth, aren't you, sera?'

I couldn't think of a time when I'd seen him look more irresistible. I felt the sting of the wound on my face as I smiled at him, the familiar fire of lust flaring in my belly.  
Maybe it was bad that I was so turned on by the sight of him all battle-scarred and bloody.  
It didn't matter now. I took a step forward and placed my hands on his chest as his arm wound around my waist.  
'You fight like a champion.' I moved my hand up to his neck. 'You never fail to impress me, Sero.' I grinned, moving my face closer to his ear, the desire still simmering within me. 'If it weren't for our company, I'd ravage you right here and now. Until your legs were of little use to you.'

He laughed quietly, pulling me closer to him as he murmured in my ear. 'Mmm. I'm sure the dragons won't mind. Forget about those other two.'

He lowered his face to kiss me firmly, his stubble grating against my skin and the taste of his blood rippling faintly across my tongue.

It reminded me of the first time we had coupled by the frozen lake on the way to Falkreath; when I had been a creature if the night and he had let me taste his blood while he was still inside of me.  
I sighed heavily, basking in the shimmering sweetness of the moment as our lips parted and our foreheads touched.  
'Ouch.' He complained flatly and grinned as the spikes of the Herald's Crown scraped against his skin.

'So... How inappropriate would it be for us to find a quiet place together? Before... Sovngarde.'

I was surprised by his question. Although the usual frisky mischief was in his tone, there was something else, too; a gentle pleading; a hint of tender desperation.  
He felt the same way I did. He felt the fear and uncertainty. The thought that this might be the last time we ever saw each other; the very real possibility that I may never return from that portal, that my body would rot on the fields of Sovngarde.  
'We can keep the armour on. Well, most of it.' He smiled softly, trying to relieve the aching sadness and intense emotion.

I exhaled slowly, feeling the warmth of his skin against my own as I tried to calm my heart.

A great flood of emotion washed over me as we stood there next to the door to Sovngarde, basking in each other's glow; the intensity of it almost broke my heart.

My voice was quiet and soft as it emerged from me; it sounded strange to my own ears.

'If I am torn from this world... To go to wherever it is my soul will drift... I won't rest. No god or force of this world could part me from you. I will wander the realms with your name upon my lips until I find a way back into the arms of my champion.'

He stood still for a while, his arms still wrapped around me; he squeezed me gently as he kissed my forehead, his hand reaching up to stroke my blood-soaked hair.

'Then I will be waiting. Whether it is here on this night or many miles away, many years from now... I won't leave this world without you.'

I felt a scorching tear roll down my cheek as he gently took my hand, leading me away from the portal back towards the temple. Faire and Marcurio silently watched us leave, Voslaarum and Naslaarum craning their necks to watch.

'Come on. Let's make a beautiful memory for you to take with you to the fields of Sovngarde.'


	38. Chapter 39: Don't Go Without Me

'We're going in there after them, right?'  
Marcurio was anxious and impatient. He paced the stone ground, warily eyeing Voslaarum and Naslaarum as they glared down at us from their roosts.  
'Of course we are. Just be patient.'  
I was consumed with inner turmoil.  
Nysteris had ordered me not to follow her into Sovngarde. As much as I cared about her, I knew I was lying when I had told her that I'd do as she said.  
It wasn't that I didn't believe that she could defeat Alduin without Naslaarum. I had every confidence that she could. It was because I wanted to be by her side when it ended - regardless of the outcome.  
This battle with Alduin would be a defining moment in history. If The Heralds succeeded, a new age would dawn for the Snow Elves and for all of Nirn. Faire and Nysteris would become heroes, and there was a good chance that they would also become rulers of their kind, or what was left of it.  
If they failed, everything we knew would come to a violent end.  
While Nysteris did not seem to care for the fate of any race other than her own, the outcome for her race would be the same as that for all the others, no matter if she won or lost.

I wondered for a moment about what it would be like if she returned to the Forgotten Vale to rebuild her lost civilisation. What kind of ruler she would be.  
I remembered when I had asked her about the terrible creatures we had seen in the chantry; the Betrayed.

'They are not our kind any longer.' Her eyes had been cold, no hint of hesitation in her determined, unfeeling tone. 'When I guide my brothers and sisters back to this place to reclaim our lost glory, I will wipe them from this world.'

I had been shocked by her answer.

Gelebor had seemed sympathetic toward the betrayed. He was constantly pained by the necessity to take their lives, terrible though they were: twisted, vicious monstrosities, travesties of the great elves they had once been. He saw victims of a tragedy when he looked at them; he remembered how they used to be, and how they became so wretched.

Nysteris saw only an obstacle to be eliminated. Though she possessed many qualities which I found endearing, her lack of compassion and mercy often troubled me.

'How long are we going to wait? It's been over an hour already!'

'We're not the dragon slayers here.' I turned to glare at him, becoming annoyed with his agitating. 'If they thought they needed us, they would have taken us with them. They didn't hesitate to bring us to Skuldafn.'

He stared at me with a look of frustration upon his face, a vague expression of anger in his eyes.

I had suspected for a while that he may have grown fond of Faire.  
I could understand his confusion. At every moment I was fighting the urge to race into that portal to find Nysteris, to make sure she was alright. As if I thought I could make a difference if things went wrong.

'Serjo,' I said, sighing heavily as I leaned against the stone pillar. 'This is not our fight. What they are doing in there is manifesting their destiny; the creature that awaits them is not an ordinary dragon, and they are not ordinary warriors. You and I; we are just men. We would only be something for them to fear for. Sovngarde is no place for a Dunmer or an Imperial to die.'

His face softened slightly, the pained expression of frustration still lingering in his eyes.  
He sighed loudly, looking up at the sky. 'I hate all of this waiting.'  
'You and I both.'  
The cold wind hissed and rushed through the arcs and alleys of Skuldafn, bringing heavy snowflakes with it; I scowled as I felt its stinging coldness penetrate the cloth of my armour.  
This truly was a gods-forsaken place. I could feel the ancient evil seeping from the stones themselves; I wanted nothing more than to behold Nysteris emerge from the portal in triumph, and to take her back to the warmth and peacefulness of Lakeview Manor.

The sudden noise of the Avatars stirring upon their perches roused me from my troubled thoughts.

Something had happened.

Voslaarum and Naslaarum suddenly stretched their wings, releasing a deafening, synchronous scream; their eyes lit up with a vicious glow as their toothless mouths opened as wide as they could, and everything around us seemed to shake from the force. Chunks of rubble and rock fell from the arches they rested upon as they launched themselves into the air, twisting and turning around each other as they suddenly began to swoop toward us.

Fear and shock gripped my heart as I instinctively reached for my sword, staring in stunned horror as I saw the dark purple glow building in their open mouths.

'Oh, Gods! What's happening?!' Marcurio's hands burst into glowing orbs of light as he saw them drop down and glide to within inches of the ground, the scales of their bellies almost scraping the stone as they rushed toward us.

A memory burned in my mind; of what Nysteris had told me when she had taught me about The Heralds in Whiterun.

'While The Heralds were with Auri-El, waiting to be reborn, the twin dragons became vicious and savage.'

My heart became stricken and crushed in a vice of fear.

No. It couldn't be happening.

'Get into the portal!' I roared at Marcurio as I ran, as fast as my legs could take me, my heart thumping loudly in my head and chest as the panic took over and I heard the dragons releasing their thu'um behind us.

Everything became a blur as I grabbed Marcurio by the wrist and dragged him into the swirling light to Sovngarde.

The mist was thick and the light was dim.

I couldn't see far in front of myself. I could only hear my heart thumping and my own breath as I raced through the path, panic flooding through me as I desperately searched for her.

'NYSTERIS! NYSTERIS!'

My voice echoed through the heavy fog. I didn't know where Marcurio was; I didn't know where I was.

It was then that the mist faded, and I saw it in the distance - the smoldering, cracked and shattered bones of a great dragon, heaped upon the ground surrounded by embers and ash.

Small fires and craters littered the landscape; the smell of brimstone and blood laced the air so heavily that I almost choked.

And there was Faire. Lying on the ground, her neck and belly torn open, her blood pooled around her in a great, dark stain.

Reality seemed to fade away as I saw it.

As I reached her, I saw that she was still barely breathing; her golden eyes were dull and glazed, her white hair now dark red, saturated with blood.

I turned quickly at the sound of a soft sobbing, my mind still detached from the horror.

Nysteris was crawling across the charred ground, her hand reaching out to her sister, bloody tears streaking her face.

She looked up at me, her blue eyes fading as she collapsed onto the dirt and ash.  
Time slowed as I rushed to her side, picking her up and desperately searching over her for her wounds; but there were none. She was whole.

I could see her spirit slipping away as she gazed into my face, sobbing as blood streamed from her eyes.  
She weakly lifted her white hand to touch my face; her voice was quiet and trembling; Broken. Weak.

'Don't... Don't go without me.'

It was then that she suddenly arched her back and released an agonised scream as her eyes became black pits within her face, blood pouring from them as the great ribbons of light burst forth from her body and from Faire's, winding through the air as they escaped from her.

For the second time, the dream I had in Solstheim had returned its prophecy.

I could feel nothing but the most intense anguish as her body became limp in my arms.

I could feel myself whispering her name over and over again as I stroked her hair, the tears streaming down my face as her corpse lay in my lap, still bearing the crown and armour of The Herald.

I was numb. A black haze shrouded my mind as I stared into the holes where her eyes used to be, still not being able to tell myself the truth of what had just happened.

Nysteris was dead.


	39. Chapter 38: Waiting

The blackness was all-encompassing.

I knew I was dead.

There was no sound, no light, no tangibility. I drifted calmly, one with the vast nothingness.

Was this the void?

A presence became known to me; an engulfing sense of emptiness. Of death.

'...Listener.'

The voice was a quiet echo; a warped, dual toned hum. As soon as it had come, it had faded away again; like a dim memory of a time long past.

Was it the night mother? Was it Sithis?

I could not speak; I no longer had my flesh.

I felt the lonely presence slowly withdraw, only to be replaced by a different one.  
One of encroaching terror and brutality.

'You. I've waited for a long time, Herald.'

The voice was low; dark; resonant. It dripped with evil and fear.

'Do not think you can escape me now, dragonborn. You drank oceans of blood and destroyed countless weaklings for a thousand years using my endowment. You have pleased me... Very much. Your soul is my trophy now.'

Molag Bal. The Lord of Domination and the King of Rape.

'Yes... You know me. As you should. It took aeons, Herald... But I caught you eventually. You thrived on the blood of the weak and the strong alike... Your will to dominate and destroy kept you in that... fetching body. Every drop of blood you drank was a tribute to my power.'

'This one was never your champion, Molag Bal. I bestowed my Ebony Mail upon this soul and it is mine. The Herald has been the embodiment war, of slaughter, enacting tribute to my glory for countless ages... And in this last incarnation more so than ever.'

I knew Boethiah's voice well. It bore an unmistakable darkness.

'Both of you will go without. The Herald has willingly pledged its soul to the guardianship of the Twilight Sepulchre. To my service. This one is rightfully mine. There is no question about it and there has never been any question.'

Nocturnal. Authoritative, serious, cunning.

'My champion as well, sister.'

Azura. The only glimmer of hope I had so far felt.

'She bore my token in her last life. She belongs to me, an agent of my cleansing light, and you will not touch her.'

Meridia's voice was powerful, strong, and righteous; as fearsome in its own way as Molag Bal.

'Ah... It seems we are at... An impasse.'

Hermaeus Mora's voice was the one that struck true fear within me.  
I knew that my dealings with him were not concluded. And I knew that his knowledge was vast; so vast and all-encompassing that he knew what to do to achieve any outcome.

'For I, too, have staked my claim upon this... Champion. This dragon born soul. And its purpose on this world... On the plane of Nirn... Is not yet completed. Akatosh weakened it by dividing it among two vessels of flesh. And now, here it lies. Its darkness intact, but its brightness destroyed. And... Miraak needs another dragonborn to serve as a... Reminder.'

'Well, would you look at that! Haha! It's like throwin' away a perfectly good boat because the cabbage put the wrong month in its underpants!'

I had not expected Sheogorath to be present. My dealings with him had been noncommittal at best.

'I don't think any of you killjoys can deny that I'm the one who has the rights on this Herald. Were you even watching when it was down there last time? It trashed Dibella's temple, stole a goat, and almost married a hagraven! Completely shitfaced the entire time. I should know. And all it ever does now, between killing sprees, is drink that strong brew from the Dunmer lands and fuck that Dark Elf every which way from Sunday. Come on. Debauchery and sin, overflowing from every cup and lacing every word.'

Oh, Sanguine. Or was it Sam Guevenne? My memories were fond.

'Akatosh will decide what happens to it now.' Mora's slippery voice purred around me. 'And Mara... And Kynareth... And Arkay... And Sithis.' Mora's voice dropped to a low vibration. 'It seems that this one promised... More than it had to give.'

It only dawned on me now that I had defeated Alduin. My destiny had been fulfilled; I had secured that last glimmer of hope for the Snow Elves. It was done, and all was ready.

I had decided before going to Sovngarde that if I fell, I would do whatever was needed to get back to Nirn. Back to the Vale. And back into Teldryn's arms.

But it seemed now as though the judges of my fate would decide among themselves; what I wanted was irrelevant.

Mora spoke of Miraak; that one from Solstheim.  
If I could be of use to Mora, he would find a way to bring me back. His knowledge of fate and destiny assured it.

I listened as the Daedric princes fought over the possession of my soul; a thing they each claimed was exclusively theirs and was very powerful.

I was pinning all of my hopes on Mora.

I knew it was wrong. I knew I would be damned.  
But he was the only way I could get out in time.

There was a distinct possibility that The Heralds, as they had been born and reincarnated in The Vale for millennia, would not be born again.

There was nothing to protect anymore. Auri-El had abandoned us. There was no worship and the Falmer were all but extinct.  
I owed my existence in this time to an unnatural preservation of my body. Had I died when nature intended, I may have been the last Herald.

I did not know how time passed in this place.

All I could think of now was Teldryn; if he would remember me when I got back - if I got back - or whether he'd even be alive.

There was nothing I could do now.

Except wait for my judgement.


	40. Chapter 41: Diplomacy

It was the 22nd of First Seed. The anniversary.

He sat in the wooden chair in the Retching Netch, his fingers resting around the neck of a bottle of Sujamma as Geldis watched on.

It had been 60 years ago today since she had first entered this place, staggering and alone, laden with coin and looking for a mercenary. And every year, Teldryn would come to Solstheim from Blacklight to visit and sit in the same chair, drinking Sujamma and remembering.

60 years was not a long time for a Mer. Teldryn had only been 43 when she had first hired him. The tattoos had been re-inked; the black Mohawk was longer. But his face had not aged.

'They must always grant you lot your leave in First Seed.' Geldis smiled as he wiped the bar top slowly, cleaning up the spilled Mazte from a previous patron. 'Modyn just got his as well. Won't be seeing him or Dreyla for a while now, I'll bet.'

Teldryn smiled, the heavy bonemold pauldron armour he wore moving as he leaned back. 'I should think not. Can't have all the men sitting around and drinking their leisure time away in corner clubs.' He took a long draught of the Sujamma as a woman walked past, smiling at him suggestively.  
'So, what makes you keep coming back here every year then? You hated the place when you were a mercenary. Raven Rock, that is.'

He paused for a while; his mind drifted away to distant memories. Thoughts that were very dear to him, but created a deep melancholy.

'Who knows. Nostalgia, perhaps. Maybe I miss all the sitting around I used to do in here. Not much time for that any more when you're a captain.'

Geldis scoffed. 'I can tell you now, I still remember the last time I ever saw you sitting in that very same chair, wearing your chitin. I never would have thought you'd end up as a captain of the Redoran Guard in Blacklight. Must have been over fifty years ago now.'

'Sixty.' His voice was quiet as he looked down into the jar, quickly tipping the rest of the drink into his mouth.  
He rarely found time for such things anymore. The familiar taste relaxed him as he sighed silently to himself.

When the curse that had befallen the people of Solstheim had suddenly been lifted and the Sacred Stones freed of their bondage seven months after Alduin's death, Teldryn had rushed to reach the stones in time to see who or what had done such a thing.  
All he had found were the horrific bodies of the dead Daedra monsters, ebony and Daedric arrows embedded in their flesh.  
The people had told stories of a warrior in formidable Daedric armour who had slain the creatures as the people were suddenly freed from their bondage to the stones; the person did not linger, not speaking a word and quickly left as soon as the beasts had fallen.

There were rumours of a foreign champion roaming the ash wastes; even a new Nerevarine.  
The Skaal had suddenly begun to sing the praises of the one who had freed them from Miraak.  
That crazed Telvanni Wizard in Tel Mithryn was rumoured to be in close contact with the champion, but nobody could extract any information from him. Master Neloth cared only for his work and experiments and, like most Telvanni, he was not pleasant to be around.

'You remember that, don't you Geldis? All that fuss about the Champion who saved Solstheim nearly sixty years ago.'

'Ah, yes. The one that killed Mogrul and Slitter.' He scoffed. 'Not hard to see why everyone loved him. That, and opening up the ebony mines, saving the First Councillor...'

'What do you think happened to... Him? I've wanted to know for years.'

He was only half-hearted as he asked Geldis the question.  
All of his searching had turned up little of use. Not even the champion's gender could be agreed upon. His face was never seen and his voice was never heard.

A part of him deep within felt desperately that it must have something to do with Nysteris.

He remembered when he had watched the life violently leave her body among the burning ash of Alduin's remains. Her soul had left in blinding streaks of light; after a few moments, her body had crumbled to ash in his hands, her bones the only thing remaining inside the sacred armour.  
Although his heart was ripped asunder on that field in Sovngarde, he had taken The Herald's armour and their crowns with him back to Tamriel; the only thing he had to remember her by.

It had taken months for his heart to build enough strength to rejoin the world.

Her words echoed in his ears, even now, after so long:

'If I am torn from this world... To go to wherever it is my soul will drift... I won't rest. No god or force of this world could part me from you. I will wander the realms with your name upon my lips until I find a way back into the arms of my champion.'

And, as he had promised her, he had waited. He would continue to wait for as long as it took; until he was an old elf of five hundred years if he had to.

The wound she had left in his heart could not be filled with sex or drink or money.

The Redoran Guard had welcomed him with open arms thanks to his family name, and he had rapidly risen through the ranks, becoming one of the youngest captains in service.  
The pain he had suffered had broken his spirit just enough to make him compliant. And the fact that the pain was not going anywhere soon worked in his favour to keep him in the ranks.

His father had been overjoyed.

He made a good captain; skilled and brave, a strict disciplinarian but popular with the men.

Stories of his past were whispered among the ranks of the Redoran Guard, and among the Dunmer of Blacklight city.

Stories of the capture of Odahviing; of how he had been the consort to the Dragonborn, and gone with her to destroy the World Eater. No children, no wife, but not from lack of options.

He discouraged such talk. The pain was still raw after 60 years.  
Joining the Redoran Guard had been a distraction from it. Nothing more thoughtful than that.

'I don't know.' Geldis mumbled idly to himself. 'Some people think he had something to do with the Dragonborn.'

'I know. I've heard it all before.' He sighed heavily, gesturing for another bottle of Sujamma to be brought to his table.

'Can you confirm a rumour for me?' Geldis looked thoughtfully at Teldryn as he dried a mug, his eyes narrowing.  
'Sure. Let's hear it.'

'Your Dragonborn. Was she a Snow Elf?'  
Teldryn used to avoid answering that particular question.  
But he'd known Geldis for a long time. And he was feeling generous.  
'Off the record? Yes.'  
Teldryn knew that the rumour would have started in Dragonsreach. It was the only time she had unveiled her face in front of the masses.  
He was more surprised that nobody had asked him yet if she had been a vampire.

'I knew it. I knew she was Mer. I remembered seeing her fingers and wondering what was going on with the colour of them.' He paused. 'And were you really her consort?'  
Again he paused; the pain of her loss began to hurt him again.

'No. We loved each other.'

'...ah.'

Geldis waited for a few moments before continuing to press forward. Captain Sero was usually tight-lipped about the issue; there were many curious souls who had hoped for him to open up.

'What are they like? Snow Elves.'

He frowned slightly, his mind travelling back to Gelebor and the chantry; to Nysteris and Faire.

'It's hard to say. I only ever met three of them. Well, more like two.'

'Didn't you go to their homeland on the back of that dragon?'

'No.'  
He knew that the location of the Forgotten Vale was a crucial secret. He had flown there on the back of a dragon anyway; if he had known how to get there again, he already would have visited.  
He tried to change the topic. 'They seemed a lot like Altmer in many ways. Very cultured and elegant, but without all the arrogance... I don't know. It's hard to summarise an entire race from three individuals.'

'You know, they're sending a diplomat. coming to Blacklight soon. He's on the road now, destined for the Great House Redoran.' He raised his eyebrows as he spoke, a hint of implication in his voice. 'Quite the cause for talk.'

The news struck Teldryn like a bolt of lightning.  
He sat up in his chair, a frown of disbelief upon his face.  
'What? How did you hear about this?'

'Couriers. Getting inside info is one of the few perks of the job, captain.'

'A diplomat...'

'I know. There must be more than three of them now, eh?'

* * *

It was finally coming to an end. At last, her bound servitude was almost over.

Hermaeus Mora had been appeased with the death of Miraak; his mask, robes, and sword were on route to Morrowind with the envoy headed by General Virdanyis.

The chantry was restored; Auri-El's favour was once again bestowed upon the Falmer, and the Mage light lit the great halls as the Prelates guided the sublime songs and praise.  
The mages and wizards studied in their great arcanaeum; the scholars pored over their tomes in their magnificent Library.

Curate Gelebor stood by her side, a pacific expression of pride and contentment upon his face as he watched the initiates conduct their worship.

He had not been so euphoric during the years of the Genocide.

He and The Queen had led the onslaught upon the Betrayed, from the depths of Blackreach to the icy caves and canyons of The Vale; the blood had run in terrible rivers in those underground caves as their spears and spells had torn through Falmer flesh, The Queen acting without hesitation or mercy as she proceeded to rend them asunder with her terrible voice to prepare the way for the return of the Snow Elves.

When she had left to guide the lost colonies back to The Vale, her people had numbered only five hundred.  
Now, with Mara's blessings of love and fertility graced upon her people, love bloomed in every heart, and the playful laughs of children rang throughout the valley.

They numbered over one thousand now.

Nysteris had fulfilled her promise to Auri-El: to restore his worship to The Vale, and to bring prosperity back to her people.  
But her heart was still yearning for her champion.  
Throughout her years of bonded service, she had been forbidden from finding him until her debt had been paid.  
Mara and Auri-El had rescued her soul from the possession of Hermaeus Mora.  
But there was only one Herald now. Auri-El had united them in the one body, learning from the mistake he had made in separating their aspects.

'Will it be enough?'

Her voice was quiet, rife with nervousness and anticipation. It had been so long; she could almost feel him in her arms. She was so close now.  
'General Virdanyis is a man of great skill and eloquence, my queen. I have every confidence that he will secure captain Sero's release, and the cooperation of House Redoran.'

Gelebor's calm confidence was reassuring to her.

Teldryn's tenure as a captain of House Redoran had presented an unexpected obstacle. To leave his position would be impossible now according to their code of honour.

And by all accounts, he was highly valued.

'What if...' She hesitated.

Gelebor smiled, pleasantly surprised to see her tender side showing through as she wrung her hands, her blue eyes filled with worry.

'House Redoran respects the warrior code and prowess in battle. And I'm sure they would not pass up the opportunity to forge an alliance with the Dragonborn warrior queen of the Snow Elves.'

She sighed loudly, her black hair fanning around her as she turned to pace the floors, her gilded robes flowing over the cold stone.

'What of Virdanyis? Has he arrived in Blacklight?'

'I'll consult the seer.'

The idea was becoming harder to resist. The impulse to call Vaslaarum and ride into Morrowind herself to reclaim Teldryn.

'Your wait is nearly at an end, my agent.'

Mara's grace washed over the troubled queen like a sublime and soothing wave.

'Still your troubled heart. My benevolence will deliver him into your arms.'


	41. Chapter 42: From The Queen

'Arch-Master Zirek.'

General Virdanyis bowed politely, his shining white hair falling about his shoulders as his ice blue eyes made contact with the old Dunmer, a small and refined smile upon his pale lips. 'I humbly thank you for granting us an audience. It is a great honour.'

Nisimar Zirek eyed the snow elf cautiously, the Redoran elite standing at his side appearing as though they were statues in their bonemold armour and crimson cloth.

The snow elf lieutenants accompanying Virdanyis stood tall and straight in their resplendent armour, their white hair tied up into ponytails high on their heads and their gleaming silver spears held straight at their sides.

The atmosphere in the air was tense; uncertain.

Arch-Master Zirek was untrusting of outsiders at the best of times. And these elves and their kind were entirely new to him. The mere existence of the ancient Falmer had been little more than a myth for the duration of his entire lifetime. And now, here they stood, their military elite, requesting a confidential meeting not with the representatives of all the great houses, but with the Arch-Master of House Redoran.

'The great House Redoran welcomes you, outlander.' His deep voice rasped and croaked through the air as he spoke. His weathered and wrinkled face bore a serious frown, his dark red eyes boring into the General and his lieutenants. 'State your name and rank.'

'General Virdanyis, your honour. These are lieutenants Seithring and Adelbhor.' His voice was smooth and calm. 'We come as emissaries of Our Queen, Nysteris Agarwen of the Snow Elves.'

'Snow Elves?' His brow furrowed, his hand resting upon the desk in front of him. 'Your queen would send warriors for diplomats at her first introduction?'

'Yes, your grace.' He smiled politely, his white skin glowing from the reflected light of the wall sconces. 'Our Queen is a proud and skilled champion who believes in civility among seasoned warriors. The noble tenets of House Redoran and its renowned soldiers and capabilities are themes that resonate strongly with her. Her fondness for your Great House and for the Dunmer race is something she has always spoken of.'

'Is that so? Then it is strange that we have not heard of her before this day.'

The general turned slightly toward lieutenant Seithring, subtly gesturing to him as he continued to calmly speak to the Arch-Master. 'At your discretion, your honour... Our Queen wishes to offer a token of her benevolence.'

Seithring respectfully stepped forward, bowing slightly as he presented Zirek with an offering, long and heavy in shape and wrapped in the most exquisite gilded cloth.

The Redoran Elite promptly stepped forward to accept it and present it to the Arch-Master; Virdanyis and his lieutenants waited patiently as Zirek removed the silver pin, and the cloth fell open to reveal the contents of the gift.

Zirek's eyes widened as he beheld the mask, robes and sword of Miraak, resting in an ornate vessel carved from the scales of a dragon.

'How did your queen come upon this?'

'It was she who destroyed Miraak and saved your territories on Solstheim, as well as reopened the ebony mines and saved the life of First Councillor Morvayn against an assassination plot from your rival house.'

'What? How is that possible?'

The realisation quickly dawned upon him as he stared at the sword of Miraak resting upon the dragon scale plate, ethereal tentacles creeping over its surface.  
'Your queen is the Dragonborn?'

'Yes.' Virdanyis smiled politely as he beheld the look of surprise on the Arch-Master's face.

A long moment of silence passed before Zirek spoke again.

'Why did she send you here, General?' His tone was low and cautious.

'Our queen wishes to begin positive relations with the Great House Redoran. We believe a mutually beneficial alliance can be achieved.'

The General's pale eyes pierced the Arch-Master's as he smiled confidently.

'Your honour; how fares your Captain, Teldryn Sero?'

* * *

Final chapter to come soon.


	42. Chapter 43: Release

Teldryn's heart pounded in his chest as he strode toward the council room, flanked by his loyal officers.

He knew they were in there. The Snow Elf envoy. Arch-Master Zirek had sent the Major General to the Blacklight barracks personally to call him for an assembly. The entire council was congregated within.

His mind was still struggling to comprehend the implications.

The excitement and anticipation burning in his heart could barely be contained, although his face remained stern.

It was her; It had to be.

All of the years of heartache, of suffering in her absence were about to be washed away. She had found him as she had promised, after all of these lonely decades. The cold embrace of death had not kept her from him.

Or had it?

His mind constantly flickered between confusion and frantic anticipation. He struggled to keep his emotions in check.

The Redoran elite guarding the entrance to the council chamber parted to make way, their backs straight and their hands gripping the hilts of their ceremonial swords.

It was as he entered the room that he first saw them.

The tallest one stood proudly next to the Arch-Master, his strong arms folded across his chest and his pale blue eyes blazing with what appeared to be triumph as he watched Teldryn and his officers enter the chamber.  
His white skin and shiny, shoulder length hair seemed to glow in the flickering light as he smiled, an expression of calm confidence upon his pale face.

He wore the armour of the Ancient Falmer; the same type he had seen Knight-Paladin Gelebor wearing when he had met him in The Vale all those long years ago.

The sight of him and his elite guard almost caused Teldryn to falter.  
It was becoming real. They were actually here.

Captain Sero turned sharply on his heel and put his armoured fist to his shoulder, bowing slightly to the council as his officers stood to attention.

'Reporting as requested, sir.'

He could hear his heart thumping in his head as the silence echoed in the hall.

'At ease, Captain.' Zirek's rasping and lethargic voice pierced the air as he issued the command.

The tall snow elf stepped forward, the smile still firmly planted upon his lips as he approached, slowly extending his hand.  
'Captain Sero.' His refined voice rang out confidently as he spoke. 'It is an honour to finally meet you.'

The men firmly gripped each other's forearms, the armour making a quiet thud as it clashed together.  
The snow elf smelled faintly of incense and ash; unfamiliar.

'Captain, allow me to introduce General Virdanyis. He is our honourable guest hailing from the Snow Elf Kingdom.'

'The honour is mine, sir.'

Teldryn and Virdanyis stepped backward from each other in synchrony, bowing slightly in a rigid fashion and raising their fists to their shoulders.

The eyes of the entire council were upon Teldryn as the Arch-Master spoke, a commanding authority in his tone.

'Captain. As a condition of the new pact of allegiance signed today between House Redoran and the monarchy of the New Falmer Kingdom, the council has seen fit to honourably discharge you from your tenure of military service to House Redoran.'

His heart stopped for a moment. His breath stuck in his chest.

A familiar roar echoed distantly through the hall, muffled by the thick, curved walls of the council chamber.

Time seemed to slow as General Virdanyis smiled widely, showing his gleaming white teeth; the words that followed from the Arch-Master were the ones that would finally break the dams of his self-control.

'It is the decision of the council that you be reappointed as ambassador of House Redoran to serve in the homelands of the Falmer, and as favoured consort to the noble Queen Nysteris Agarwen.'

He released his breath in a great rush, trembling as he fell to one knee and bowed before the council, the emotion silently bursting forth from him in a massive outpouring of release and indescribable intensity.

It was the culmination of all of his lost hopes for the past sixty years; the release of all the pain and angst, to be gloriously replaced by a sweet desperation. A joy and love so brilliant and pure that it almost overwhelmed him completely.

He breathed in shallow gasps, struggling to hold back the tears; he could not summon the words he knew he should say.

'We hereby surrender you to the authority of General Virdanyis to initiate the commencement your new role immediately.'

'My deepest thanks, most honourable council.' Virdanyis stepped forward to stand by Teldryn's side, his voice retaining the same calm and controlled timbre as always. 'Please allow lieutenants Seithring and Adelbhor to direct you to the area where you will meet your allies, Voslaarum and Naslaarum. They will demonstrate the correct procedures to be used upon your first introduction.'

'We look forward to it.' The councillors stood from their seats as the Arch-Master concluded the assembly. 'And to a long and prosperous alliance.'

Virdanyis kneeled upon the ground next to Teldryn, his hand resting gently upon his back. His voice echoed in the empty hall.

'Your queen awaits you.' He smiled as he spoke. 'And she grows impatient.'

* * *

Final chapter tomorrow.


	43. Chapter 44: Reunion

I could feel her presence in the great reception embassy.  
It seemed to glimmer and spark in my consciousness; as frantic and tortured by the excitement and anticipation as I was, her energy leaping out to me like a flare of light breaking a deep and lonely darkness.

My heart was thumping so heavily that the sound of it was ringing in my head.

A small part of me could still not believe that she was truly here; alive and still as desperate for my presence as I was for hers.  
My mind had become so accustomed to believing that she was gone forever. The years without her had gone by like wind; in a long and lonely darkness, where every night I would dream of her risen spirit whispering;  
'Remember me.'

My heart from its prison would cry to her spirit as she walked alone through the void: 'I was with you in agony. Remember your promise of paradise.'

The memory of her bloodied corpse in Sovngarde; the soft ash where her pale flesh had been as it crumbled in my hands, and slowly floated to the ground like snow to reveal her charred bones in my embrace.

Where the dreams and memories of our unions had once been the most painful of all, they had eventually grown to become my only comfort.

I had often thought of what I would give to feel her again; of how different our last embrace would have been if I had known what the future held.

Virdanyis walked swiftly and proudly by my side as we approached the huge, dark wooden doors.  
He turned to me as we came to a stop outside of them, his bright, ice-blue eyes at the same height as mine, burning into me as he spoke in his calm, cultured voice.  
I could barely hear what he was saying; the knowledge that she was waiting in the grand bed chamber just beyond the heavy wooden barrier drowned out everything else.

'Custom dictates that I'm supposed to brief you on the proper formalities to be followed in the presence of the queen.' He smiled again, his eyes lighting up with a hint of mischief and joy. 'But I don't want to make either of you wait any longer.'  
He bowed gracefully as he stepped aside, gesturing toward the doors.

All around me became silent except for the pounding in my chest as I slowly pushed the door open; I saw my armoured hand upon the glossy wood as though I was watching through the eyes of another.

The smell of incense flooded my senses as the soft sconce light lit the crimson drapes hanging from the walls of the arched ceilings; bunches of gleamblossom in ornate vases rested upon low tables, their gentle glow guiding the way to the ornate bed against the far wall.

And it was then that I saw her; and all of my body and spirit began to sing.

Her huge blue eyes were glistening with emotion. The thin gilded robe she wore revealed the shape of her body against the light of the sconces as she tore the ornate silver crown from her head and flew across the crimson carpet toward me, her long black hair shining and floating around her white face as she ran.

As she threw her arms around my neck and pressed her body against my armour, I felt a searing heat of indescribable joy and release break within me like a blinding light, obliterating sixty years of anguish and suffering. The part of me that had died with her in Sovngarde so long ago returned to me like a breaking wave, and I felt myself become weaker than I had ever thought possible.

It was as though we had never been apart; as though all the time that had passed between had been nothing more than a dream.

I sighed heavily as she roughly kissed me, our teeth bumping together and our tongues touching as my hand slid down her back and I felt the heat of her body, the smooth curves of her shape.  
'I found you,' she quietly gasped between deep breaths, tears streaming from her eyes as her long white fingers frantically danced across the skin of my neck. The sensation of it was electric. 'Oh, gods... How did I ever live...'

'I have waited for so long for you, Sera... Even though I thought it was in vain.'

'No god or force of this world could part me from you... No matter how hard they tried.'

* * *

The bliss I felt at this moment was so far beyond anything I had experienced at any time in my life, that it was almost disabling.

The hours had passed like minutes as we had become delirious in each other's arms, overwhelmed with love, pure joy, and a fierce and unquenchable lust.

The ecstasy I felt when my body was filled with him was more addictive than any drug or mundane yearning.

The first time he had taken me, he had been rough, forceful, driven by powerful emotions and an urgent need for unity; all of which I shared. It was better than I had ever imagined it could be. From the moment he had torn the fabric of my robes as he quickly pulled it from my shoulders and the exquisite expression on his face when he had seen that I wore nothing beneath it, every moment had been sublime beyond anything I had hoped for.

I was drifting upon a shimmering sea of peace and bliss.

I looked up at him as I rested my head on his shoulder, my arm on his broad, dark chest and my bare leg draped across him under the covers of the bed.  
His blood-red eyes were half-lidded, a small smile of complete contentment on his lips. He turned to kiss me gently on the forehead, his muscle flexing under my cheek as he raised his arm to twirl my hair around his fingers.  
The tattoos on his face were a little darker now; the coarse black hair on his jaw and lip had been carefully trimmed. The mane of a Mohawk I was so fond of was longer; the glossy black tips of it drooped ever so slightly when he was standing now.

A long, pearlescent scar reached from beneath his right ear to his collarbone. I found others as I gently ran my hand down his firm chest and to the hard muscle of his belly.

Teldryn hadn't aged at all. I still found him to be so staggeringly handsome; I could have stayed with him there in the bed all day, frequently interrupting our long conversations with more love-making.

'Should I address you by your proper title now, my queen?'  
I smiled as I saw the familiar brazen grin creep upon Teldryn's face that I had missed so dearly. I melted as I heard his deep, purring voice, feeling his chest vibrate as he spoke. I snuggled into him a little more, basking in my contentment.

'Sera. Fetcher. N'wah. I don't care.' I pushed myself up to kiss him on the lips, his hand running down the length of my bare back. 'You can call me whatever you like, captain Sero.'

He laughed quietly, pulling me closer to him as he growled to me. 'I'll be testing that one out later.' He lifted his face to gently bite the tip of my ear; that familiar gesture he had always used to show his amorous intentions. I smiled, feeling the warm ripple of love course through my body again.

'You'll need to learn to behave yourself when you're a royal consort.'

'You mean favoured consort.' He kissed my cheek as he continued. 'You'll need to explain that one to me. It implies that you've got more than one.'

'There's plenty of time to explain everything later.' I sat up in the bed, smiling down at him softly. 'I forgot to dismiss Virdanyis from his duty. He's probably heard quite a show out there by the doors.'

'Lucky man.' He winked at me and smiled, showing his teeth.

I gently got up out of the bed, searching the vast room for my torn and cast away robes.

'Fetcher,' he said mischievously as I shot him a droll glance. 'There is one thing I was hoping you could help me with before we go to reign in your frozen wasteland.'

* * *

Geldis stared up from the bar, slack-jawed in shock as General Virdanyis stood before him, flanked by his lieutenants Seithring and Adelbhor.

The General's face was stern and cold as he spoke, his arms folded and his gleaming silver spear sheathed on his back.

'Citizen,' said Virdanyis in a strong and commanding voice. 'You have been summoned to appear before Queen Nysteris and her most honourable favoured consort. You are to come with us at once.'

He swallowed hard as his gaze quickly passed over the intimidating Snow Elves, the two lieutenants showing no more emotion than their stern-looking General.

'Oh... Er, of course... Um... Your... Grace.' He quickly stuffed his bar cloth into his belt, straightening his clothes with his hands as he nervously stepped out from behind the bar, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.

The scene that greeted him when he opened the doors was one that nearly sent him stumbling backwards.

The two identical dragons sat resting upon the sand and ash of Solstheim, their hissing breath blowing up clouds from the ground as they turned to glare at him; their heads and necks were adorned with intricate silver bridles and bits, their polished scales gleaming in the dim orange sun as they began to toss their horned heads, low rumbles emanating from their mouths.

'Oh Geldis!'

He looked across in a state of pure shock to see Teldryn in his bonemold armour, a broad grin upon his face as he stood with his arm wrapped around the waist of a beautiful, white-skinned woman, her delicate silver crown resting on top of her head of long, shiny black hair.

'I believe you owe me a vat of Sujamma.'


End file.
